The Strength of the Heart
by Konoha no Uchiha Sakura
Summary: Slight AU: Sakura, once suffering in a hell that she rightfully did not deserve to be in, is now discovering what the world is like when the heart knows love. Will she get her happy ending? Characters a bit OOC SasuSaku
1. Part 1

**Hey everyone! I decided to write this new fic because the idea has been swimming around in my brain for a while and I just had to get it out before it went "poof" forever. Lol! Anyways, sorry if the characters are a bit OOC. I'll be trying to keep them in character the majority of the time, but in this fic, Sasuke-kun learns to open his heart and learns what true power is. Itachi is dead, obviously, and so Sasuke-kun is back in Konoha. WOOT!**

**Anyways, please read and review! Tell me what you all think, seriously. This will be kind of long, because the chapters won't be as frequent. **

**Uchiha Sakura**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. There, ya happy?

**The Strength of the Heart**

Part One:

He was a man. A powerful man. ANBU captain and one of Konoha's most elite ninja. His reputation exceeded almost those of the Hyuuga clan, and surely surpassing the lost Uchihas as well. His methods for killing were quick, sufficient and deadly. But when it came to interrogation, it was rumored throughout the village that one would not want to be on the receiving end of his torture.

He was everything that every male ninja could dream to become. He was the best.

He _also_ was a man of deception.

To everyone in Konoha, he was a wonderful father. Loving, compassionate, caring and understanding. He cared deeply for his one and only child, whom everyone said had his eyes.

But to an outsider, no one would suspect that his child suffered on a daily basis.  
Most would look on, thinking that the many bruises had come from intense training. Such was the life of a young ninja. They all started off young, working hard and training until they were on the very brink of using up the last of their chakra. It was a routine, a pattern, almost considered a tradition.   
For the life of this man, his child would only know the hatred that followed from her mother's death.

18-year old Haruno Sakura ran through the forest, her mind still playing over the events that had occurred only moments before. Her heart was heavy and her eyes stung with unshed tears. _So typical, Sakura._ She admonished herself angrily. _Go ahead, cry. See if that makes you feel any better! That's all you did when HE left the village!_

Sakura stopped as she reached the bridge where her team used to meet, when what seemed like a lifetime ago. She looked down at her latest wound, which was a gash that ran from the top of her right shoulder all the way to her elbow. A kunai had caused this wound. But the cut had not been clean. It was sliced in a wavered fashion, as the person responsible for it had been drunken over with sake. Sakura rubbed her eyes furiously as she focused hard on her arm. She gathered chakra to her left hand and began to slowly close the wound up, making it disappear. Once she was done, she looked out at the river, the moon shining on the water, giving it a serene look.   
Sakura sighed. She sat down and dangled her legs over the edge of the bridge. Her arms rested on the railing and her chin dropped to her wrists. _Another sleepless night._ She thought, closing her eyes for a moment.  
Her thoughts drifted. They'd started on the evening's earlier events, but when she remembered the ugliness of it, she forcefully pushed them from her mind. They drifted to Sasuke. He was now back in Konoha, after nearly six long years of being gone, he was back. Sakura had seen him maybe all of once since his return. Tsunade had him busy doing community service around the village. Basically a bunch of D-rank missions that even a Genin would laugh at. But he had to do it, otherwise suffer Tsunade's wraith. His status had been allowed to increase, as long as he behaved himself, but he was not allowed to leave the parameters of the village walls. Sakura honestly had forced herself not to go see him. As badly as she wished she could, her heart refused. She knew that she would betray herself again if Sasuke just took one look at her, so she chose to be safe, and not to see him at all.

**_You're gonna snap you know._** The voice inside her head commented idly as she stared out at the water.

_I don't need you to tell me what's gonna happen_. She thought bitterly.

_**Why won't you just stand up to him? So what? He's your father—''**_

_SHUT UP!_

Tears had finally beaten their way out and were streaming silently down her cheeks. She rubbed her eyes angrily and tried to get up. But she felt a presence behind her.

"What are you doing out here so late?" A smooth voice asked from behind. Sakura recognized the voice. It was the very last person that she'd wanted to confront.

"Just out to clear my head." She replied casually, standing up and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She wouldn't let him see her cry. _Just keep walking…_ She told herself, as she walked brusquely away.

"Alone?" the person called.

Sakura whirled around angrily. She really didn't want to be so mean, but if he saw how raw her heart was, she would never let herself live it down. She would _not_ appear weak, _not_ in front of him.

"_YES_ Uchiha Sasuke! I'm allowed to walk around by myself now! I _am_ 18 years old!" Sakura drew in a deep breath and continued to glare at him. Much to her surprise, he looked startled. Almost as if he couldn't see her reacting to him, of all people, that way. _Tch, I guess she's changed._ He thought as he watched her turn defiantly on her heel and walk away.

Sakura stealthily snuck herself back inside her house. It was already past midnight and she knew that her father had a two week long mission starting first thing in the morning and she knew that he would probably be asleep. Tip-toeing up the stairs, she was almost to her door, already celebrating on her minor victory when she heard…

"What were you doing out so late?" a cold voice asked from behind her.

"N-nothing, Hinata-chan leant me a book that she needed back so I—"

"Don't even _try_ to lie to me!" Her father screamed, backhanding her hard so that she fell against the wall. "You would try to lie to me, of all people, who knows about every step that you take?" Sakura dared not try to defend herself. She knew what her father was capable of, and her trying to do anything would result in a bloody mess. Her eyes closed against the pain and she gave herself into the numbness.

Sakura woke sometime later, to feeling something slip around her body. She guessed that it was someone picking her up. She kept her eyes closed as whoever was carrying her gently laid her down onto a bed. She kept her body limp until she felt something rough slip below her waistline. "Oh Sakura…" A husky voice murmured above her. Sakura's heart began to race as she recognized the voice.  
It was her father's.

Her eyes opened and they widened as she saw his hand start to tug away her shorts and her heart skipped a beat in fear as he leaned in close to try to kiss her.

"GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!" She screamed as she felt his other hand slip into her shirt to fondle her chest. She jumped up, ignoring the searing pain in her muscles. She'd barely had time to think as she flipped off the bed, landing in a defensive stance and throwing a deadly sharp kick into her father's swelling groin. He keeled over, but grabbed her ankle as he fell, bringing her to the floor too.

"You ungrateful little bitch!" he screamed, holding her fast as Sakura kicked, trying desperately to get away.

"Let me go!" She shouted. He only held on tighter, growling angrily as Sakura almost landed a kick in his face.  
"You're not getting away so easily! I'm not finished with you yet!" He shouted yanking her hard in his direction. Sakura felt her ankle pop, and then pain washed through her foot and leg. Screaming with fear and pain, Sakura could only watch as her father brought his fist into her cheek. She felt something snap, but she kept her eyes averted, making sure that he wouldn't try to touch her like that again. She felt him grab her right arm and twist it sharply towards the pale moonlight coming through the window.

"I see you've healed your little present I gave you earlier." He said, shoving her aside. Sakura ignored the pain in her body as she forced herself to sit up.

"You're Konoha's best medic Nin, yet you couldn't even save your own mother!" he screamed.

"You're worthless, FUCKING worthless! It's your own fault that she's dead!"

Sakura only watched as her father came at her again, this time, a kunai in his hand. Sakura rolled backwards, coming up from the roll about five feet from him. Her heart nearly froze as she saw the sadistic look in his eyes.  
"You will be lucky to wake up in the morning." He said in an icy voice.  
The last thing Sakura remembered were her father's angry red eyes boring down on her…

_FLASHBACK_

_15-year old Haruno Sakura was out on her day off. Her parents, both Jounin, one already ANBU, were out on an S-class mission. Sakura had been told that it was highly confidential, but Tsunade assured her that they should return safely. _

_Sakura skipped happily to the place in the park where her mother always used to take her as a child. She sat down on one of the swings and began to get the swing going. Back and forth she went, the wind blowing her now shoulder-length pink hair from her face.  
In the distance, Sakura saw two forms approaching Konoha's gates. She could see that one was badly hurt, as the person was being carried by the other teammate. As the two Nins got closer, Sakura recognized them as her parents. _

"_Holy shit, TOUSA! OKAASAN!" She shouted, jumping off the swing and running to them. She burst through the gates and didn't stop until she'd reached her parent's side. _

"_Yo-you must save her, Sakura. Your mother w-was badly hurt." Her father stammered, fighting hard to hide his tears. Sakura's heart wrenched as she looked at her mother's wounds. These were way too complex from what she'd already learned to heal. "I-I can't heal this. I'll go get Tsunade-sama. She's a better medic than I am. Just hold on!" Sakura said, racing away as fast as she could to Hokage Tower._

_But when she returned with her sensei following at her heels, the sight that lay before her made Sakura's heart shatter. _

_Her mother laid completely still, skin pale from loss of blood, and her breathing had ceased. "O-Okaasan?" Sakura choked. Her father looked up at her. "She's gone Sakura. You took too long." He muttered, bowing his head as he turned his eyes away from his deceased wife. _

_Tsunade frowned as she watched her apprentice's expression. "Sakura was not too late. Your wife's injuries were too fatal. I'm not even sure I could have saved her Haruno-san." She said, squeezing Sakura's shoulder sympathetically. _

_Sakura remained quiet. _

_Her mother was gone, and it was all her fault. She hadn't been strong enough. _

_END FLASHBACK_

Blood cracked around her eyes as she slowly came awake. She was lying on the floor, blood pooling around her, mostly near her head.  
_Fuck. What did that bastard do to me?_ She thought bitterly as she tried to move. Her arms ached and her head was spinning. A dry, parched feeling was in her throat as she tried to sit up. _That's not good._ She thought. _I'm dehydrated. Lost too much blood…_

Looking around her, she realized that she was in her father's room. Her clothes had been torn, but they were not off. _Thank kami._ She thought. Her father was gone. The bottle of sake that he'd consumed now lay resting on its side by the bed.

Sakura sat herself up, looking at the clock. It read 11:30.

"Shit, I'm gonna be late." She muttered angrily to herself. She stood, and felt blood caked on to her. "However am I gonna cover this one up?" She muttered as she ran some hot water in the tub. She flipped her head down, allowing the water to run harshly over her shoulder-length hair. Blood stained the water an auburn-ish color, and the source of the blood on her head became apparent as she felt a searing pain along the cut.

Once her hair was clean, she gently towel-dried it, finding some bandages to cover up her head wound. She quickly dressed in fresh clothes, wincing a bit as she found numerous cuts all over. "Kuso…" she whispered as she then turned her attention to her broken ankle. Glancing at the clock, she saw that she had about 20 minutes before she would be considered late.  
Not enough time to heal a broken ankle.

Sighing heavily, she set to work on healing herself as best she could. She gathered as much chakra to her hand as she could and went to work on her ankle. It took almost an hour, but she managed to accelerate the re-growth in the bones. Thankfully, she could stand on her foot again.

After looking at the clock, she dashed out the door and to the bridge where her team met everyday.

Naruto looked around as he arrived. "Ne Sasuke-teme, where's Sakura-chan?" He asked, his tone worried. "She's never usually this late."

"Sorry guys!" they both turned to find Sakura slightly limping but still running as fast as she could to greet them. "I overslept, I'm sorry!" She said, out of breath. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her.

_She didn't have those wounds last night. I just saw her. There's no way she could have sustained those while training._ He thought after giving her an once-over.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, what happened to you?" Naruto said worriedly, coming over to her and circling around her.  
"Nothing! I just hurt myself cuz I was in a rush this morning. Fell down some stairs. No big deal." She replied easily. Her story seemed to convince a certain blonde, who was just looking relieved that nothing serious had happened.

_Tch, you're such a dobe. There's more to that than she's letting on…_Sasuke thought, all but glaring at Naruto. He knew from the look in Sakura's eyes that her story was a load of crap, but from the nervous look barely hidden in her eyes he knew that she wanted to keep this private.

Fine.   
He would just talk with her about it when they were alone.

Kakashi sensei chose that moment to appear. He poofed on top of one of pillars on the bridge, Icha Icha Paradise open in his hand and a stupid grin on his face. "Yo…" He said, looking over the edge of his perverted book at his three students. Sakura's bandaged form caught his eye, and his one visible eye narrowed almost unnoticeably. His gaze then traveled to Sasuke, who sent him a knowing look. Kakashi nodded slightly at the raven-haired teen, before turning his attention back at the threesome.

"I'm sorry, but I ran into this old lady who needed help with her grocery shopping and—"

"LIAR!" Naruto and Sakura both screamed in unison. Kakashi smirked. "Well, enough of sitting around. Let's get going." He said, heading off to the training grounds.

Sakura lagged behind, favoring her right foot. Sasuke's eyes narrowed on her as he allowed Naruto to race past him and after their sensei. He slowed down and waited for Sakura to catch up. She ignored him as she walked by, keeping her gaze at the ground, hardly paying attention to where she was going. She didn't stop either until she heard, "Sakura." She turned around to smile brightly at Sasuke. "Hai?" She asked. Sasuke kept his gaze locked on hers. "What happened to you?" He asked, not allowing his gaze to waver. He would get answers out of her if it was the last thing he did.   
Sakura laughed lightly. "I already told you Sasuke-kun, I—"

"You and I both know that's a bunch of bullshit." Sasuke interrupted, walking towards her. Sakura's eyes widened a little and she backed up. "I don't know what you're talking about…" she whispered.

"You didn't look like that when I saw you last night by the bridge. Something happened to you on your way home."

Sakura's eyes were wide and then her vision was clouded by…_tears?_ She thought. She hastily wiped them away. "It's nothing Sasuke-kun, really. We should catch up, they'll start without us." She turned to go, but Sasuke caught her by her bandaged wrist. She winced slightly, only to face Sasuke's deeply narrowing frown. "Sasuke-kun, what…?" She was cut off as he placed a hand over her mouth.  
"You can stop lying now Sakura. I know this wasn't an accident. You're a girl, but you're not that stupid." He said, waiting for her reaction. Normally, a comment like that would have driven her to smack him upside the head. Now, however, Sakura's gaze dropped to the ground, not allowing him to look her in the eyes anymore.

Waves of fear and embarrassment washed through her as she realized that she was caught. There was nothing more that she could say that would convince Sasuke that this all had been an accident. She was gonna get it so bad if she ever told anyone though. Would Sasuke tell once he found out? What would happen? Would Tsunade banish her father from the village? Would he really come back and kill her like he'd threatened in the past? What would the other villagers think? Sakura began to tremble.

Sasuke noticed this and his gaze reverted back to Sakura's face. Her cheeks were streaked with tears and her other hand was squeezed tight in a fist by her chin. He felt her trembling underneath his hand and her skin had started to turn clammy.  
"Sakura, what the hell happened?" He asked softly. She shook her head and started to back away from him.

Sakura continued to back away, both hands raised and palms out, as if invisibly trying to push him away from her. "Just, forget about it, ok?" She whispered, turning around. She _had_ to get away from him.  
"Sakura…" He started again, his tone more stern.

"NO!" She yelled finally, doing her best to leap away to the safety of the trees. She wouldn't let him find out. Everything would be hell once he did.

Sasuke was right behind her. "SAKURA!" He shouted.

Back at the training grounds, Naruto had begun to get restless. "Ne, Kakashi sensei? Where's Sakura-chan and Sasuke-teme?" He asked. Kakashi sighed. "They'll catch up Naruto. For now, let's just spar a bit one on one. I want to see how much you've learned training with Jiraiya." Naruto's eyes lit up. "Really? I get to fight you?" He exclaimed gleefully. Kakashi grinned, nodding, before his hand disappeared behind his back…and reappeared with the latest volume of Icha Icha Paradise.

Naruto's face dropped. "Oi! What the hell are you doing?" He yelled, his hands curling into fists.

"Well, you're just standing there, and I've gotten to a rather good part in my book…" Kakashi's statement went unfinished as Naruto came attacked. "I won't give you the chance to read that sick-ass book of yours!" He roared, throwing a series of punches at Kakashi.

His sensei smirked as he blocked every single one. "Heh, Nice." Kakashi murmured as Naruto came up behind him, using a clone as a distraction while the real Naruto snatched the novel from his sensei's hand.

"HA!" Naruto yelled triumphantly, holding the book in the air, a wide cheesy grin plastered to his face. His cerulean gaze dropped to the orange book in his hands. "Now, what is it about this book that's so damn interesting?" He wondered aloud curiously. He flipped the book open again.

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled into a grin as he watched Naruto's curious expression change to one of utmost horror and disgust.  
"HENTAI!" He yelled, chucking the book back at Kakashi with extra fervor.

Kakashi caught his precious book lovingly. "Hey, you're the one who wanted to know, so I let you satisfy your six-year curiosity. You _are_ of legal age to view it after all. So are you satisfied?"

Naruto grunted the disgusted look still evident on his usually cheery face. He glared at Kakashi as they began again.

Sakura tore through the trees as fast as she could, hoping to make it back to her house so she could hide away until her father returned. Her body screamed out in defiance as she pressed on.  
Sasuke was getting closer.  
Suddenly, her ankle gave out on her and she dropped to the ground, yelling out in pain as she landed hard on her bad foot. She lay on the ground for a moment, breathing hard. Her body hurt so badly, but she wasn't about to give up. She crawled behind the nearest tree and masked her chakra. She didn't want to be found.

She felt him land near her, his footsteps barely noticeable as he looked around. Burying her face in her arms resting atop her knees, Sakura held in her tears. She wouldn't cry. Not now, not in front of him. Her thoughts plagued her mind, her worries threatening to take over her sanity. Sakura screamed out in frustration and sadness in her mind. Her inner self was right.  
She was going to snap.  
A gentle and warm sensation rested on her shoulder a moment later. "Found you." A voice whispered in her ear. Sakura looked up, slightly surprised to see Sasuke standing over her. "I'm your teammate, Sakura. You don't have to hide everything from everyone all the time." He said, kneeling down next to her. Sakura only stared up at him with wide green eyes as he brushed aside her hair to reveal the bandages on her head. Tears filled her eyes again as she met and held his gaze. "I-I could say the same for you." She whispered, her soft retort reaching his ears. He smirked. "Yeah, but I'm working on that."

At that moment, Sakura dropped the guard and the walls that she'd built up around herself. Sasuke stared into her eyes and saw the raw hurt and fear that was coursing through her.

"Sakura, who the fuck did this to you?" He whispered, his eyes narrowing.

"No-no one." She muttered.

_My father_

_My Father!_

_MY FATHER!_

_MY FATHER!_

_**MY FUCKING ASS BASTARD FATHER!**_

Her Inner self was screaming, as if willing Sasuke to read her mind. Sakura couldn't tear her eyes away from his face. After all these years, there was something, _different_ about the way Sasuke looked.  
Older, stronger, more handsome. But in his eyes there was something that wasn't there before he'd left Konoha…

Trust

Sakura bit her lip as tears threatened to come. She bowed her head and angrily wiped them away. "I-I have to go now Sasuke-kun." She whispered as her eyes looked towards the sky. It was already high noon and they'd been sitting there for a while now. Sakura made to stand, but as she did so, a sharp pain shot up the leg of her injured ankle. She winced as she put her weight on it.

"Sakura."

Sakura didn't look at him. She knew for a fact that if she did she would break. If she did, then her life would be in danger.

"Please, Sasuke-kun, just leave me alone. Kakashi sensei and Naruto must be getting worried right now about us. You go back first and I'll—" She was cut off as a hand closed on her wrist. She flinched as she felt herself being spun around.   
"Sakura, what the hell is going on with you?" Sasuke demanded. "Something is not right. You were _fine_ last night when I saw you! Tell me who had the nerve to do something like this to you!" Sakura squeezed her eyes shut against the tears. "I-I can't tell you!" She screamed, her hands now covering her face. "I-I...I don't want to die!" She cried.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Whoever had hurt her had obviously made some sort of threat, implying that her life would be taken should she reveal the identity of her attacker. Sasuke racked his brain for all the people that Sakura would possibly be intimidated by. Since his return, he found out that the number wasn't high. She was Konoha's top-ranking medic Nin, and had a determination that would match Naruto's on a daily basis, especially when it came to defending him. Now, however, the girl that Sasuke saw before him was the same young Genin that he'd known back when he was 12. She'd grown so much stronger in his absence, but something was out of whack.   
Sasuke pulled her hands from her face, getting a good look at her. After a moment his heart took over. He pulled her sharply towards him, causing Sakura to lose her balance and fall onto his chest. He caught her and scooped her up into his arms. She was so light. _And warm…_He added in his mind. Sakura let out a squeak of surprise. He smirked as she wriggled in his arms. "Let me go!" she demanded. "You surprise me, Sakura." Sasuke said, his comment shutting her up. "You're Konoha's top medic, and yet you can't seem to figure out that because of your broken ankle, you cannot walk. Tch, and here I thought you were the smart one on our team." Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief before they narrowed in anger.

"Let me go!"

Sasuke smiled. Sakura froze. She'd never before in her _life_ seen Uchiha Sasuke _smile._ Seeing that he'd succeeded in silencing her, he walked with her in his arms to the place where Kakashi sensei and Naruto were training.

Naruto's eyes widened as he saw his best friend approaching. "Ne, Sasuke-teme! What happened to Sakura-chan?" Kakashi's visible eye looked Sakura over more closely. It looked as if she'd been badly injured on a mission and hadn't gotten the chance to recover before she went back to train again. Naruto was at Sakura's side instantly, looking her over before his eyes narrowed in anger at Sasuke. "You bastard! You're the one who did this to her! I TOLD you not to be so hard on her!" Naruto fumed, his face turning redder by the second.

Sakura was quick to intervene. "Iye, Naruto! Sasuke-kun didn't do this. I just trained too hard and—"

She felt a pressure on her shoulder as Sasuke squeezed gently, letting her know that she shouldn't continue. Almost as if he _knew_ that she was lying. She didn't meet his gaze, however, but instead looked up at their sensei. "She's hurt and I'm taking her home. She refuses to listen so that's why I'm carrying her. If I'd let her, she would have run off to fine you two to train and she has a broken ankle." Sasuke explained in his usual tone. Sakura flinched slightly. She _hated_ this. This was why she'd always worked so hard in training with Tsunade, so she wouldn't have to rely on people to try to protect and take care of her. It made her feel weak.

"I'm really fine, Sasuke-kun." She said, placing her hands on his chest. "Yo-you can put me down now."

"No, you're not Sakura." Kakashi's voice cut through. His eye had narrowed on her, scrutinizing her carefully. "Sasuke, take her home. I don't want to see her back here until she's fully healed." He said, crossing his arms as if to make his order final. Sasuke nodded, and took off with Sakura cradled close.


	2. Part 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, blah…

WOOT! I got 10 reviews with the first chapter! I hope more people will be reading this! THANK YOU SO MUCH to those who have!

Thank you's go to…

**Firefoxmon:**Thank you so much for being my first reviewer! xD I will be updating, don't worry! Hehe! **Pinstripe** Yeah, I apologize for that too. I just wanted to get it going, you know? xD **Mezumi:** LOL! Thank you so much for your review! xD I think that everyone's gonna be hating her father by the time that I'm done with this… **feigning** Your review made me smile. I really appreciate it! xD As I told Firefoxmon, I shall be updating! This fic, along with Stained Cherry Blossoms will be my two main fics that I will be working on. Thanks again for reviewing! **rightnow.** Thank you! Its gonna be kinda sad for the first part of it, but it will change. xD **OtakuAnime131** LOL! Nicely put! xD **HeartAngel** hehehe. I know right? **sakura13pisces: **Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! **sweetmaiden: **hehe. I will be, don't worry!**neon kun:** LOL! You'll see why she refuses to though in this chapter. She's got a good reason not to.

**The Strength of the Heart**

**Part Two**

The time that her father was gone on his mission lasted for a short while, despite it being a full two weeks of breathable freedom. Sakura had relished in the quiet silence of her house, especially at night. No creaking footsteps to worry about sneaking into her room after she was asleep…no broken sake bottles left shattered on the floor…no more vomit on the floor left unceremoniously for her to clean up after her father's drunken hangovers.

It was peaceful. A rare occurrence in the Haruno household.

It was the day of her father's scheduled day of arrival, and Sakura was busy moving about her house, vigorously cleaning the floors, spotting up on smudges on the walls, and always checking to make sure the kitchen remained sparkling.

Her wounds had been given time to heal, and the gash on her head had closed up, especially after she'd helped the re-growth of cells using her medical chakra. Sakura's story on how she'd received the wounds remained the same. She refused to say anything else otherwise because she knew with all her heart that her father would act on his threat. She shuddered as she remembered his words about a month ago…

_FLASHBACK_

_Sakura backed away from him on the floor, her eyes wide as her back touched the wall. It gently stopped her from retreating, almost as if telling her that she needed to confront her fears, instead of allowing them to take over. But Sakura was in no mood to listen. She scrambled up the stairs, grabbing her phone as she fell towards her bed, her free hand clutching her phone while her other tightly held her flowing wound on her chest. A kitchen knife had sliced her front as her father had waved it at her. Sakura knew he was angry. Oh hell he was angry. The alcohol in his system only made his temper ten times worse, however, and Sakura was to pay for it. _

_Shakily, Sakura started to dial Ino's number, to beg her to let her stay over for the night. _

_Stomps could be heard on the stairs down the hallway._

_Death was coming. She knew it._

_Sakura dashed inside her closet, bringing her portable phone with her. "I-Ino?" She whispered. Ino's cheery voice greeted her as her best friend answered. "Hey forehead girl, what's up?" She asked, stifling a yawn. It _was_ already past 1 in the morning. "I, can I meet you somewhere?" Sakura whispered in her phone. "Sure! But, what's this all about? Is something wrong? Why are you whisper—?"_

_Ino was cut off by Sakura's sudden scream. Her closet door had been wrenched open, revealing her very drunk, very pissed off, and very scary looking father. _

"_Out. NOW!" He commanded, grabbing Sakura by her arm and yanking her hard out of her closet. "I have to call you back!" Sakura cried as she threw her phone towards her bed. It slid on the wood floor and came to a stop underneath her bed. Ino could hear screaming but it was muffled. _

_Then—_

"_What were you doing?" Sakura's father shouted, pinning her against the bed with his weight. Sakura made to push him off using her foot, but her father grabbed it and shoved it behind her head into the mattress. She screamed as muscles in her leg started to pull. She slid down against the bed until she could feel the cool metal of the bed frame pressing into the base of her skull. She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to grab the phone. She pulled it out and shouted, "INO PLEASE HELP ME!" _

_Her father's eyes widened as he saw that her phone had still been on. He snatched it up and he heard Ino say, "What the hell Sakura! What's going on! Are you ok?"_

"_She's fine. Don't listen to her. Go to bed Ino, or I'll tell your father that you were up past the time you were supposed to be asleep."_

"_But Mr. Haruno, I—"_

_Ino's voice was cut off as he hung up and chucked Sakura's phone across the room. He grabbed a fistful of Sakura's hair and slammed her head into the bed frame. "What the fuck were you thinking?" He shouted, thrusting her head against the frame with each word he spoke. Sakura screamed and kicked him off of her. She curled herself into a ball as her hands immediately covered her head protectively. _

_She felt something heavy on her shoulders and she looked up to see her father getting on top of her.  
"The minute you tell ANYONE of what has happened to you since your mother died, is the minute you sign your death sentence." He said menacingly, twirling a kunai in his hand. He then stabbed her in the shoulder, pressing harder as he made sure she was in pain. "Do you understand me, Sakura?" He asked evilly, pushing the kunai in deeper when she did not immediately reply._

"_Yes!" She screamed. He smiled sadistically. He pulled the kunai out and licked her blood off of it. It was enough to make Sakura want to pass out. _

_Which she did a moment later._

_END FLASHBACK_

---

Sasuke walked along the streets of Konoha. His encounter with Sakura was almost two weeks ago. He'd decided not to tell anyone what had transpired. The only ones that knew something was up with Sakura was her team. Kakashi hadn't said much after Sasuke had returned. Naruto was ranting about the perverted-ness of their sensei's books, while Kakashi merely rolled his eyes and smirked. Sasuke had thought hard about the possible people who would have been able to do something like that to Sakura. So far, he hadn't been able to turn up anyone.

So, naturally, he chose to speak to someone who might…

Sakura's best friend.

Sasuke knocked hard on the door of the Yamanaka residence. Ino's mother answered a bright smile on her face. "Hello Uchiha-san, what can I do for you?" Sasuke didn't smile back, but looked over her shoulder. "Is Ino home?" He asked his voice hard. Her mother's eyebrows lifted. "Why do you ask?" She asked. Sasuke sighed. Ino was as nosy as her mother. He now could see where she got it from. "It's about Sakura. I need to talk to Ino about her." Ino's mother's eyes widened.

"Ino-chan, please come downstairs! You have a visitor!" Her mother called. A few seconds later Ino appeared next to her mother. "Hi Sasuke-kun!" She said happily as she pecked her mother on the cheek before heading out the door, waiting for Sasuke to follow.

The two walked down the street until they came to the park. Ino plopped down on the grass and stared up at the clouds. She'd been hanging around Shikamaru too much.

"Ino." Sasuke said after a moment. "Can you tell me anything about Sakura? What's happened to her?"

Ino closed her eyes. She didn't say anything for a long moment.  
"What's it to you?" She asked, opening her eyes and facing him once more. "Why should I tell you?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Because she's obviously in trouble. You as her best friend should do something to help her."

"Oh, so by betraying her to you automatically means that I'm helping her?" She asked, not taking her eyes off of him. Sasuke sighed with frustration as he sat leaned against a tree a few feet away from her. "Please just tell me." He said, crossing his arms and fixing a look of impatience on Ino.

She sighed. "Something happened about a month ago. Sakura's been tight-lipped about it ever since but I know that it was him who did it to her. She came to the flower shop the day after in order to buy some flowers to make her kitchen table look nice."

Sasuke motioned for her to continue. Ino drew in a deep breath and she continued. "I was on the phone with Sakura the night before. She'd called me from her closet and she was really scared. It kinda scared me when I heard her father barge into the room because Sakura screamed. It went all quiet on the phone for a long minute before Sakura screamed "Ino please help me!" I didn't know what to do. Her father probably grabbed the phone from her and fussed at me telling me to go to bed."

Ino finished up her story and looked up at Sasuke, awaiting his reaction. His eyes had narrowed but they were focusing on something in the distance. He appeared to be in deep thought.

"Thanks Ino." He said after a moment. He took off from there, heading directly for Sakura's house.

---

Sakura smiled as she stepped back and looked at her home. It simply _glowed_. Her father would be sure to notice, and perhaps, she would be spared tonight. Hoping silently that he would not return for another couple days, she went upstairs to her room. After getting a shower and changing into her pajamas, Sakura went back downstairs to start dinner. She knew that her father would kill her if she didn't have dinner already waiting him. Sakura finished the onigiri and then went to prepare the teriyaki chicken. A knock came on her door about 20 minutes later. Wondering who it could possibly be, she went to the door only to find Sasuke standing on her doorstep, adorned in his ANBU uniform. Sakura's eyes widened. "Wh-what are you doing here?" She asked, stepping backwards two steps. He looked at her, the look in his eyes one that she'd never seen before. "I know Sakura." He said softly, putting his hand on the door panel so she couldn't close it. Sakura's eyes widened as she looked over his shoulder. Nobody was there, yet she had a bad feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. Something bad was going to happen.

"I-well, ok." She said, deciding to play stupid. She couldn't risk openly confessing to him what happened when her father lost his temper. "I'm making dinner right now. My father is supposed to be back from his mission tonight and he'll be hungry. Would you like something to drink?" She asked, stepping back and inviting him in. Sasuke looked at her curiously before nodding. Sakura rushed off to the kitchen and returned to the newly cleaned living room a moment later with a tall glass of water. She offered it to Sasuke who took it gratefully. She stole a quick glance at the clock on top of the TV in the living room. It was almost six. Her father should be home any minute. She forced herself to relax, not wanting to alarm Sasuke at all. Sitting down on the couch, she stretched out, looking like she was lying there lazily, when in reality she could flip over the arm of the couch and into a fighting stance in two seconds flat. Sasuke watched her and smirked. "How's your ankle?" He asked, his eyes grazing over her quickly before coming to a stop at her right ankle. It was still bandaged, but she'd seemed to be able to walk on it just fine. "It's ok. I tumbled a little on it today and I didn't have any problems." She said conversationally.

Sasuke watched her as she stretched her back; her eyes squeezed shut for a moment. Sighing deeply, Sakura sat up, looking over at him. He'd nearly finished his beverage. "Ne Sasuke-kun, why did you really stop by here?" She asked, looking him dead in the eye. Sasuke matched her intense questioning gaze.

"I thought that would have been obvious." He said, as if it were to be already known.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Naruto told you to come, didn't he?" Sasuke frowned. "No. I came on my own." He said, his eyes narrowing. Sakura leaned back against the couch and sighed. "What do I have to say to convince you that I'm fine?" She asked, looking down at the floor.

"There's not a damn thing you can say now. It's not like you to lie to someone's face about something as serious as this." He said, crossing his arms and looking at her, watching for her reaction.

Sakura sighed. She looked up sharply though as she felt familiar chakra approaching. "Oh shit, my father's home. You've gotta get out!" She said, jumping up immediately. She grabbed his now empty glass and ran it to the kitchen before racing back to the living room and opening the front door. "Please hurry!" She whispered, beckoning for him to move faster. Sasuke's eyebrows lifted questioningly as he complied. "I'll see you tomorrow at training!" she said brightly before he left quickly and she shut the door behind him as soon as he was out of sight.

Sakura leaned against the door, breathing a _huge_ sigh of relief. She didn't know what kind of a response her father would give her should he learn that his daughter was allowing boys her age into _his_ house, especially when he wasn't there. Sakura raced back to the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on dinner before she raced back upstairs to change out of her pajamas and into something her father would approve of. Her chuunin uniform and vest.

She heard the front door open and close sharply.

"SAKURA!" Her father's voice boomed. She was downstairs in an instant, obediently looking up at him. "Hai Tousa? Welcome home!" She said brightly. Her father stared at her coldly for a moment before responding. "Why the fuck are you so cheerful?" He asked icily. Sakura didn't let her smile falter. "I just had a good day, that's all. Tsunade-sama and I trained really hard and she says that I'm improving."

Her father snorted. "She's lying to you. You're still that same pathetic brat you were three years ago when you couldn't even save your mother." Her eyes dropped to the ground.

Ouch.

But she still had one more trick left. "I've made dinner for you!" she said brightly, pointing towards the kitchen. "I waited to eat because I thought we could eat together!" She said, already heading towards the kitchen. Her father grumbled something about 'not hungry', but Sakura ignored it. He obviously was because he ate up every bit of his dinner.

Sakura sighed as she went back upstairs after cleaning up dinner. Her father had disappeared into his office, letting her know that he did not wish to be disturbed. Sakura shook off the feeling of dread she had as she trudged tiredly up the stairs to her room. She fell asleep almost instantly as she collapsed on her bed.

……

…

Sakura woke in the middle of the night, smelling something foul. Her nose wrinkled disgustedly before she opened her eyes. She stared up at the ceiling, not recognizing where she was. She no longer was in her room, but was on the living room _floor?_ A chill went down her spine as she felt something trail up her exposed flesh on her leg. She'd gone to bed in shorts and a t-shirt. Her shirt was off, she noticed, as the only piece of clothing keeping her barely decent was her sports bra that she periodically wore to bed. She heard a grunt above her and she knew then that this was what she'd sensed earlier. This was what she'd been dreading.

"Please, get off of me." She whispered as she felt his hand slip beneath her shorts. She yelped as she felt him squeeze tender flesh. "STOP!" She shouted, pushing him away. "But you're my daughter Sakura; I have every right to do this." He muttered. "And besides, who else in the village will touch you once I'm through with you? Surely not your darling Uchiha friend…" He growled. Sakura shuddered. "Leave me alone." She said, wriggling in his grasp. "I won't let you do this to me."

He laughed.

"What choice do you think you have?" He asked coldly, pulling a kunai out. Sakura didn't flinch. She narrowed her eyes as her father brought the cold sharp blade to her throat. He traced a lone line along her skin, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. "You are weak. You have no choice." He said, his other hand caressing her roughly. Sakura growled angrily as she shoved her father off. She was on her feet instantly, looking around for _something_ to defend herself with.

**_USE your head girl! _** Inner Sakura shouted. **_Use that chakra blade Tsunade-sama taught you! You're not entirely defenseless! We've been training for six years with her! We can fight back! _**

Sakura smirked to herself, though on the inside she was trembling like hell. She gathered her chakra to her right hand, focusing it into a faint but still visible blade. It looked like a dagger that was an extension of the back of her hand, extending out and reaching past her fingertips.

"I won't let you do this to me." She muttered, taking a fighting stance. Her father laughed again before he attacked. As he got close Sakura could smell the strong scent of sake on her father's breath. "No one is going to believe you if you even get the balls to tell." He mocked, kicking out and taking her feet out from underneath her. Sakura went down, but not before she spun herself around on the floor and caught her father off-guard, slamming her foot into his stomach. Her kick was powerful and it knocked the breath out of him. He keeled over and Sakura took the opportunity to land a satisfying punch in his face.  
**_SHANNARO!_** Inner Sakura screamed. "I told you I won't let you do this to me. I'm keeping my virginity and giving it to someone else." Sakura said, her courage rising.

"Like that little Uchiha bastard?" He father yelled. "The one who abandoned you because you're too weak to stand up and fight for yourself?" Sakura's eyes narrowed. She refused to show it, but his words cut her deep. "Why the fuck do you care?" She shouted. "Don't you _dare_ talk to me like that!" He screamed, coming at her again. "I saw him leave our house earlier this evening. You can't hide things like this from me. I always find out. Remember that." He said, knocking her down once again and landing a punch to her face. Sakura felt her cheekbone snap. Immediately blood flowed to the cracked bone there. Her left eye filling up with blood that she couldn't see out of it. Sakura rolled out of the way in time to avoid a slash from his kunai. She thrust her chakra blade towards his shoulder, but he caught her hand and twisted her wrist. It snapped, and she let out a blood curdling scream.

She felt him rip her shorts off with the help of his kunai. "No!" Sakura shouted. Her father laughed evilly. "There's no one who can stop me." He said his voice triumphant. Sakura squirmed hard and he grew angry. She used her good hand to flip herself backwards, in a one-handed back handspring. Her father came at her again, his kunai raised. Sakura kicked out, hoping to kick the blade from his grasp. But because of her obscured vision, she miscalculated the distance and ended up taking a stab in her leg from the kunai. The blade sunk in deep, cutting and severing muscles in the side of her thigh. She screamed as she crumpled to the floor.

Her father stood over her. She lay on the ground whimpering as she watched him drop his pants. Her eyes widened as he completely undressed his lower half. Grabbing a fistful of her hair, he yanked her up to a sitting position, and thrust himself into her mouth. Sakura gagged as it filled her mouth entirely before sliding down the back of her throat. She choked as she struggled to get air. She was scared. She couldn't breathe, and this was so _so wrong!_ Her father groaned as he thrust in and out of her mouth, holding her head still while he jerked his body back and forth. Sakura screamed as best she could without choking on the seeping liquid excreting from him. This only made him moan louder, a satisfied grin on his face.

Sakura threw up. It was hell. She choked on her own vomit as her father's member came out of her mouth, covered in semen and puke. He yelled out in disgust before he threw Sakura aside. She hit the wall nearby and didn't make any attempt to move.

He came over next to her and kicked her hard in the chest. Sakura screamed as she felt ribs snap with each kick. She finally stopped screaming and gave herself to the pain. She couldn't resist him, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing just how much he was hurting her. Finally, just when she thought she couldn't take much more, she felt herself being forced up again by her hair. _Damn this long hair. Its coming off as soon as I can cut it…assuming I will live through this…_She thought angrily.

Her father pushed himself into her mouth again. Sakura's eyes filled with tears as she felt herself growing faint from lack of oxygen.

_Someone, please, please help me._ She thought.

---

At that moment, the front door burst open in flames. Sakura's father stopped and looked over at his front door, which had collapsed in charred wood engulfed in flames. The one responsible now stood in the doorway. His dark features hardly showing in the lack of light.   
"Leave. Her. Alone." He spoke in a deadly calm voice. The kunai in his hand rose.

Sakura's father laughed. He yanked Sakura's head away from him and tossed her to the floor. "What a weakling." He growled. He turned his attention back to the intruder.

"Get the fuck out of my house!" He shouted, grabbing his pants and sliding them on again.

Uchiha Sasuke's red eyes narrowed on him dangerously. He glared at the sick man in front of him before saying, "I think you have enough evidence to arrest him." He said. A split second later, three ANBU Nin entered the house and restrained the screaming Haruno. Two held him still while one slammed the side of his palm into Sakura's father's neck, knocking him out instantly. The ANBU Nin restrained him before dragging the sick man out of his house. "I'll take care of the rest." Sasuke said as one of the ANBU stopped by his side. The Nin nodded and disappeared with the rest of his group.

Sakura was on the verge of unconsciousness. Her heart was pounding, but she'd been gasping for air the whole time. She felt someone kneel beside her and she flinched.

"Please! No! Just leave me alone!" She screamed.

Sasuke immediately picked her up off the ground. She was covered in blood and vomit. Not to mention she was barely dressed. _That fucking bastard._ He thought angrily. _What the fuck did he do to her!_ Sakura screamed as Sasuke held her close to him, unknowingly aggravating her broken ribs. He looked around him and grabbed the blanket thrown over the back of the couch. As gently as he could, he wrapped her up in it before scooping her up into his arms.

Sakura had started crying. "It's ok Sakura." He whispered in her ear. "You're safe now."

Sakura looked up at him. It finally registered then. "Sa-Sasuke-kun?" She whispered, her eyes squinting a little trying to focus on him. "Hai." He said. He left her house, not bothering with putting the door back. He raced down the street in the dead of night with her cradled close in his arms. He came to a halt at Hokage Tower, where he knew Tsunade would be working overtime. He entered her office, holding his teammate close. Tsunade looked up tiredly from her work and stared at him. "Please, Tsunade-sama, help her." He pleaded, looking the Godaime in the eyes. Her eyes widened as she recognized the pink-haired bundle in his arms. "Holy fucking hell." She whispered, jumping up and coming to his side. "Take her to the hospital, NOW! I'll get Shizune and we'll be there soon!" Sasuke nodded and took off again.


	3. part 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. I just love the anime with a burning passion. xD

Reviewers, THANK YOU! 18 reviews in one chapter? SHANNARO!

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People who absolutely rule for reading and reviewing are….xD

**neon kun** nyahahaha! That is such a FUN word. I must start using it more. HEHEHE! Don't worry, Sasuke-kun will be the COOLEST character in the next chapter! Just wait till you see what he does! **Mezumi** yeah, her father is a butt munch. But you'll see what happens next, trust me! **sweetmaiden** hehehe! Hai! Aisheteru Sasuke-kun! xD **narutofan4ever** Yeah, it is kinda dark. Thanks for staying with me too from Stained Cherry Blossoms! **OtakuAnime131** Hai! (Obeys immediately without question) There, ma'am/sir! Chapter three is uploaded and ready for reading ma'am/sir! **rightnow.** Here's another chapter! Thank you for reading! **Outsane** I know, I know. But she's still alive! Here's chapter three! **Nekio-chan** Don't worry, I won't end it any time soon! I want to expand on it and bring out the changes that the characters have gone through in the years that Team 7 separated. **Shinobi Darkbeak** Hai! Arigatou!**feigning** hehehe! Yeah, I wanted to keep this going! I've been getting REALLY good feedback from people and I'm on my spring break right now, so I have ALL WEEK to update again and again! WOOT! **HeartAngel** Yeah, it is graphic. I didn't mean to freak you out or anything, but the things that happen in this story are not imagined. They've stemmed from live experiences. (Don't freak out, ok?) I hope that you stay with me with this fic like you have with my other one! I really appreciate it! Arigatou! **sakura13pisces** Yes, yes he is an ass. xD hehehe! Here's chapter three! **StarFire and Sakura:** LOL! Yeah, her father is a butt munch. Just wait till you see what happens next! **skite02:** Arigatou! Here's chapter three! **lilaznstarfire11:** That's a little dark, even for Konoha Nins. Just wait till you see what happens. XD** BWOLFY:** xD I will be! **FlAsHy-BeAm-PoLe:** Your review made me smile. I will, thank you so much for reviewing! xD **Magan:** hehehe! Here's chapter three! Lol! Thanks for reviewing!

Do you all love me for leaving you all at a cliffhanger in the last chapter? xD I'm sorry. I had to find a spot to end it, you know? I really can't wait to see what you guys think of this chapter! It took me FOREVER and a day to finish it, but I just had to so I wouldn't keep you guys waiting!

Thank you so much for reading! I'll keep _updating_ if you all keep _reviewing_! Hehehe!

**The Strength of the Heart**

**Part Three**

**NOTE BEFORE READING!**

**This story is FAR FAR FAR AWAY FROM BEING OVER!**

It was all over the village. News spread like a wildfire, reaching almost every single pair of ears within Konoha's borders by the very next day. Haruno Tetsuki was arrested for child abuse, sexual harassment and attempted manslaughter. Sakura's father had been thrown into the vaulted prison, where only the S-class criminals who were caught were sent before they awaited their trials. He smirked to himself as he slid down the wall to a sitting position on the floor. He was one of the top ANBU Nin in Konoha. One of the best. Surely Tsunade would not keep him here forever. She was in need of his skills and services still. Once she realized this and released him from his cell, was when he would put his plan into action.

His thoughts turned back to Sakura, his mind laughing smugly at the thought of her curled up in pain on the floor of his living room, bleeding. He knew that the secret was out, and she would suffer for it once he rid himself of this prison. It was his daughter's fault that her mother, his wife and love of his life, was dead. His daughter had taken the love of his life away from him with her lack of skill and ability. He would make sure that she would never be happy. She was so lucky the little Uchiha bastard showed up. He was going to take her virginity and make her feel the pain that he was going through. Tetsuki smiled to himself as he leaned his head back against the cold stone of the wall.

It was only a matter of time.

---

Sasuke raced Sakura to the hospital, his anger and fear nearly eating him alive as he ran. He looked down at his teammate, unconscious in his arms. Her eyes were closed but he could clearly see the tear-streaks leaking out from underneath her closed eyelids. He was going to make her father pay for doing this to her. The moment he arrived at the hospital, Sasuke could only watch as Sakura was taken from him and moved to the emergency care area, leaving him to stand helplessly in the visitor's area. Sasuke knew that her wounds weren't life-threatening, but that didn't stop him from wanting to be by her side.

The nurses bathed her, clearing away the blood and vomit from her porcelain skin. Not having much clothing to take off of her, they dressed her in fresh clean hospital gown, one that wrapped around her slender form like a kimono. Tsunade came almost immediately, running into a _very_ worried Uchiha in the waiting room. She gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze as she went in. Sakura was laid on an exam table, the gash on her leg already bandaged, but it was still bleeding. It was the first of many wounds to be healed. Tsunade's eyes filled with tears as she set to work on setting and binding her apprentice's broken ribs. _Sakura, why didn't you say something earlier? You could've gotten help so much sooner and not had to suffer so much…_ She thought sadly. She'd had an IV drip hooked up to Sakura's wrist, as she was planning on flushing the disgusting liquid from Sakura's system. It would be almost a full 24 hours before her apprentice could eat again. So, the IV drip was there to maintain nutrition and to hydrate her.

Close to two hours later, Tsunade emerged from the emergency care room. Sasuke stood up as she approached. "It's good that you got to her when you did." She said softly. Sasuke was quiet. He was having trouble keeping his anger safely pent up from when he found her earlier that evening. "I think it would be best if you took her home and looked after her." Tsunade said, crossing her arms and watching his face. He nodded almost instantly. "Can I see her?" He asked his voice urgent. Tsunade nodded, gesturing inside the room. Sasuke looked around her and slowly approached. Sakura was lying on the table in the center of the room. Sasuke stood by her side, taking her hand in his own. She was unconscious.

Tsunade came in next to him a moment later. "I want to have her overnight here tonight, but she'll be able to go home tomorrow." Tsunade said, turning her head so that her tears were hidden. Sakura was moved to a regular room, where Tsunade said that she should wake in a few hours. Sasuke thanked Tsunade before he took a seat next to Sakura's bed, patiently waiting for her to wake.

…

Sakura opened her eyes. Recalling what had happened before she'd passed out, she sat bolt upright in the bed, breathing hard. Sasuke was next to her instantly. "Sakura…" he said, taking her hand. Her wide fearful green eyes looking up at him. There was a long, agonizing silence that passed between them. Sasuke couldn't take her looking like that much longer. He gently pulled her into a hug. He felt Sakura stiffen, but the longer he held her, the more she started to relax. That's when he noticed that she was trembling. "It's okay." He said softly, gently rubbing her back. "Y-you don't un-understand!" Sakura cried suddenly. "I-I'm gonna be in so much trouble!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Sakura's eyes were wide with fear and tears were streaming down her cheeks. She was fighting so hard not to cry, but the pain that she'd gone through was too much for her to handle and she finally snapped when Sasuke pulled her against him again. His arms encircled her protectively, holding her close and gently squeezing her, letting her know that he would not let her go. Sakura cried.

Her shoulders shook as she cried for almost half and hour straight. Her fear remained, however, as she sat up, painfully drawing in a breath. She felt Sasuke lift her chin to look him in the eyes. "He's gone Sakura. He can't hurt you anymore." He said softly. "I-I…" Sakura choked. She threw her reservations about Sasuke to the wind. At that moment, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close to her. She winced as her newly healing ribs were aggravated, but she held on. Sasuke returned her embrace, just holding her. He gently rocked them back and forth, stroking her freshly clean hair softly. It was heaven, in Sakura's mind. She felt safe for the first time in _years_. It was like her mother was alive again, in that, nothing could hurt her. Her father was gone, probably being sent off to a criminal prison where he would await a trial, and then a sentence. She would never ever see him again.

But Sakura didn't care. Sasuke was here, he had her in his arms and he wasn't letting go. That in itself was enough for her.

They stayed in each other's arms for a while after that. Sakura, growing tired, fatigue finally catching up with her, went limp in his arms. He smirked as he laid them down on the bed. He cuddled her close, and soon, he too fell asleep.

Tsunade was on her way to check up on her apprentice later on that evening. She'd gotten word from the front desk that Sakura had not accepted her dinner and Tsunade rolled her eyes. If this was another time that her apprentice inadvertently decided to put herself on a "no food" diet, she was going to strangle her! Not literally speaking, of course. Tsunade walked cautiously up the flights of stairs to Sakura's floor. She quietly opened the door to her apprentice's room only to find Uchiha Sasuke asleep next to her. Tsunade's eyes widened with surprise before she smiled, her heart swelling in her chest with happiness for her apprentice. She had done right by asking the Uchiha to take care of her. Sakura was going to be just fine, she was more than sure of it. If anyone could help her apprentice bounce back from this, it would be him.

Sasuke opened his eyes the next morning. His gaze found Sakura's sleeping face. Her eyes were still closed, her chest rising and falling in a timely rhythm. Obviously she was still asleep. Sasuke entwined his hand with hers, holding it gently as his thumb stroked the top of her hand. He remembered her words from the night before when she'd woken up. He cursed silently under his breath. Standing up, he gently brushed a few strands of stray hair from her eyes. With one last look in Sakura's direction, Sasuke exited the room.

…

Tsunade dropped into her chair behind her desk. Her eyes narrowed dangerously on the scroll resting in the center of her desk. She knew what the scroll contained. The report of the ANBU Nin who arrested Sakura's father. She glared for a seemingly long time at it before she harshly took it up, ripping open the seal with such fervor that she actually tore part of the scroll. Rolling her eyes, she began to scan the report. Her eyes narrowed as the details in which Sakura had been found sunk in. The sick, animalistic man Sakura called "Tousa" was supposed to be a respected and highly skilled shinobi of Konoha. However, his hatred towards his daughter had never lifted from his heart since his wife's death three years ago. Tsunade still recalled the pained look on Sakura's face as her father pinned her mother's death on her. Her apprentice had gone into a funk, one in which she had yet to emerge from after three years of being mother-less. Tsunade wiped her eyes furiously with the sleeve of her green coat. Deciding already on what to do with Haruno Tetsuki, she rose from her desk and went to the door, only to be greeted with a scowl coming from none other than Uchiha Sasuke.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere else?" She asked, eyeing his stance and deep frown. He briefly rolled his eyes in annoyance. "When is Sakura's father's trial?" He asked, almost spitting out the word "father." Tsunade noted this, but chose not to let him know. "I'm scheduling it for next week." She said. "I want that bastard to sit on what he's done for a while behind bars."   
Sasuke nodded, his anger diminishing ever so slightly. His onyx eyes narrowed on her as she sighed. "Has Sakura woken up yet?" She asked. Sasuke almost seemed to perk up a bit after the question was directed at him. "Yes. She woke last night, but fell asleep again after a while." Tsunade nodded. "She should be okay to check out now." She said, turning around to face him once more before leaving. "Take care of her Uchiha. I'll check up on her in a few days." Sasuke lifted his chin in a short nod, letting Tsunade know that he understood. He took off from the balcony a split second later, giving the Godaime not even a second thought.

…

Sakura stretched, yawning before sitting up. The sun poured through the window of her room, bathing everything within its reach in a warm, golden light. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked around the room, taking in her surroundings and trying to figure out where she was. She'd slept surprisingly well. Better than she had in a while. As her eyes came to rest on her hands, she saw the IV drip sticking into her wrist.

Realization slammed into her like a shuriken hitting its mark. Her eyes widened and fear suddenly gripped her heart. "Took you long enough to wake up. Did you sleep well, _princess?_" The voice to her left was mocking. Sakura's heart froze and a scream worked its way up in her throat. The figure who'd spoken to her was silhouetted by the sun coming through the window. She squinted to get a look at their face, but the voice was more than enough to identify who it was.

"You!" She shouted. She could almost see the smirk on her father's face.

"Yes, me." He said, his right hand twitching at his side, near his kunai holster.

A split second later, a kunai shot out of his hand towards her. Sakura dodged it, but it managed to graze the top of her left hand as she covered her head protectively.

It was then that her father made his move…

…

Sasuke ran back to the hospital. A bad feeling was growing in his chest and he wanted to make sure that Sakura was all right. "Uchiha-san?" The nurse at the front desk called. Sasuke skid to a halt and turned to look at her, frustration building at not being able to go to his teammate's side. "Yes?" He asked. "There is another visitor in Sakura-san's room." She said cheerfully. "I just wanted to let you know so you wouldn't be alarmed—" The nurse didn't get a chance to finish her sentence because Sasuke had stopped listening. He had taken off running up the stairs, taking four at a time. He reached Sakura's floor in time to hear a loud, piercing scream come from the end of the hallway.

Sasuke burst through her door, to find Sakura pinned to the floor in a choke-hold by a man dressed in bloody, soiled clothing. Sakura's face was turning a light shade of purple as the oxygen was cut off from her lungs. The moment Sasuke burst in, however, her eyes met and held Sasuke's gaze for a nanosecond.

That was enough to give her strength.

Glaring back up at her father, her fear soon diminished as she focused it into anger. Sasuke was there watching her, and she was ready to prove that she could stand up and fight for herself. She gathered as much chakra to her right hand as she could, and…

PUNCH

Haruno Tetsuki staggered back, the force of Sakura's punch almost twisting his head completely around as blood poured out of his nose. Sakura rolled backwards and away from him, fighting to pull much-needed air into her burning lungs.

Sasuke was in between them in a split second. "Get out of my way." Tetsuki growled as his eyes narrowed on Sasuke. But the long-lost member of Team 7 just glared at him, his eyes changing…

"Uchiha." Tetsuki murmured. His hand went to his kunai holster to draw a weapon, but Sasuke beat him to it. He slammed his fist deep into Tetsuki's stomach, making the man double over in pain. Sasuke leaned in close to his ear and said quietly…

"I'm going to make you suffer for hurting her."

Sakura rolled over in time to see Sasuke nail a punch to her father's stomach. Her heart leapt into her throat as she saw Sasuke smirk with satisfaction. Blood dripped from her forgotten wound on her hand. The second the blood drop hit the ground, Sasuke's eyes narrowed on her. "Never again Sakura." He said softly, before kicking the still reeling man in front of him so hard that he went through the wall. Sakura shielded her eyes as dust from the wall being blown open by the human projectile billowed in the air for few heartbeats. When the air cleared she saw Sasuke jumping through the hole and down to the courtyard below. Sakura scrambled to the edge where she saw something that made her heart freeze.

Her father held Sasuke at bay by pressing a kunai to the younger ANBU's throat. "So you think you can save her, huh?" He growled.

Sasuke only smirked. "You're such an idiot."

Tetsuki yelled as the Bunshin of Sasuke disappeared with a poofing sound. The real Sasuke appeared behind him, landing a kick to the back of his opponent's knees. The force of the kick dropping the older man to his stomach. Inside, Sakura silently cheered.

Tetsuki formed hand seals, attempting to use kawarmi no jutsu. He disappeared for an instant before reappearing 20 feet away from Sasuke. He threw kunai in Sasuke's direction. Sasuke dodged every single one of them, preparing his own move next. Tetsuki saw the Uchiha's eyes flash red, and he went and hid behind the nearest tree.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He jumped high into the air, kunai in between each of his fingers. He threw them all, three at a time, before throwing the last two, both of which, ricocheted off of each other, both tearing off into well-placed targets. The invisible-like string attached to the last two swung around the tree, binding Tetsuki to the tree trunk.

Sasuke quickly did a few handseals, before shouting, "KATON: GOUKYAKU NO JUTSU!" A huge fireball engulfed the tree, and Tetsuki's scream could be heard before suddenly, the huge fireball was put out by a huge gust of air. Tetsuki stood now 50 yards from the still burning tree. His skin was charred but the burns were minor. He glared at Sasuke as he formed handseals. He came at him, fist raised high in the air. Sasuke saw through his attack instantly, thanks to the Sharingan. Tetsuki had somehow formed a stronger technique, one that stemmed from Sakura's chakra blade. This one was double-bladed, and Tetsuki swung it down, hoping to gouge a fatal blow to the youngest Uchiha. Sasuke was waiting for him. He dodged the attack, ducking low and swinging his leg around knocking Tetsuki off balance once more. He came up behind Sakura's father, showing incredible strength as he threw his opponent high into the air. Tetsuki looked down to see where Sasuke was, but he heard an almost inaudible voice in his ear.

"Die you fucking bastard." Sasuke delivered a sharp, bone shattering blow to Tetsuki's side, driving him faster towards the ground. "**Shishi Rendan!"** Sasuke screamed, attacking two more times before landing a round house kick to Tetsuki's stomach, finally driving his body into the ground with a malevolent force.

Sasuke was quick to disarm his opponent before reversing the tables and holding his own kunai to Tetsuki's neck. "I don't _think _I can save her, I _know _I can save her. You've lost you sick bastard. Give up already."

Tetsuki growled and he struggled under Sasuke's grip. The Uchiha's hold didn't waver as his grip of steel held fast, disabling the older man from being able to counter.

Sasuke's eyes traveled up the building where the two had fallen out. Sakura was on her knees, kneeling close to the edge, watching the whole thing. He offered her a small smile before he fisted his hand full of Tetsuki's blonde hair, yanking him to his feet. "You're going back to jail. I daresay that Tsunade-sama will be pleased with your escape. She might just kill you on the spot and "accidentally" forget all about your trial." Sasuke said coldly. He was about to escort Tetsuki away when…

"Tetsuki."

Sasuke whirled them both to face his teammate. She stood in the courtyard, arms crossed, and a blatantly timid but determined look on her face. Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he saw her hands shaking.

"FUCK…"

Sakura swung her fist back…

"YOU!" She screamed, nailing her punch in his face. There was a loud, _crrraaacck! _Then Sakura screamed as two of her fingers broke from the impact. She looked down to see her father unconscious on the ground. Her blood from her hand smeared across his face from her powerful punch.

At that point, Tsunade had found them, and she was running as fast as her stiletto heeled shoes would let her. She reached the two young shinobi, quickly followed by a team of ANBU. The ANBU Nin looked at their youngest member in complete amazement, and then glared at the man who had managed to escape their hold. Tsunade signaled to them to restrain Tetsuki. She aided in the chore, making sure his bonds were _extra_ tight.

Sasuke approached Sakura warily. She was staring stoically at her father, who was being dragged away by the team of ANBU, and a very _pissed_ Hokage. Tears had formed in her eyes as she bit her bottom lip. Sasuke dropped his gaze to her left hand. The slice on top was still bleeding, but the blood had begun clotting, making it a dark red from the dirt. The two fingers on her hand were clearly broken at the knuckle. Sakura showed no sign of acknowledgement to this, however. She continued to watch the man who'd haunted her life in all the years since her mother died, disappear for now what would be forever.

Sasuke took her hand tenderly. "Sakura." He said softly.

Sakura then turned her tear-filled eyes back to him. She stared at him for a moment before she buried her face in his chest.

Sasuke felt her arms go around him, and didn't waste any time before he pulled her closer to him, his arms encircling her small frame protectively. He smiled.

"You did it Sakura." He whispered softly. "You finally beat him."

Sakura pulled away for a minute so she could look him in the eyes. "Only because you weakened the shit out of him first." She said quietly. Sasuke was about to say something but silenced himself when he saw almost a ghost of a smile on her features. "Thank you," She whispered, putting two fingers to his lips, almost as if making sure he wouldn't interrupt. "For everything, Sasuke-kun."

He smirked. His left hand captured hers, pulling her fingers away from his mouth. At that moment, Sakura's heart leapt into her throat at seeing him look at her like that. She tried to hide a blush, but was unsuccessful.

"You've grown stronger, Sakura." He whispered, leaning closer. Sakura gave him a small smile. "It was because of you though." She whispered. "He almost had me back there before you came in. But the second you came into the room, my strength grew and I was able to throw him off of me."

Sakura leaned in closer to him; their faces were just inches apart when…

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

Both Sasuke and Sakura jerked their heads in the direction of the disturbance. Naruto was running towards them as fast as he could. He skidded to a halt next to them, grabbing and yanking Sakura into a fierce hug. She cried out in pain as Naruto's tight hug aggravated her newly healing ribs. Sasuke punched Naruto _hard_ on top of the head, sending the future Hokage to his knees, blue cerulean eyes tearing up in pain. "Ne, Sasuke-teme, what the hell was that for!" he shouted, clutching the knot forming on his head. Sasuke rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You were hurting her dobe." He said, as if it were obvious.

Naruto's eyes widened. They filled with empathy and he clasped both of Sakura's hands in his own, bowing his head and saying, "I'm so sorry Sakura-chan!"

Sakura winced as Naruto's grip pinched her broken fingers. She shot a look at Sasuke who was about to thwack Naruto again, and shook her head no. He raised an eyebrow at her, but lowered his fist.

Naruto let go of her hands a second later, and Sakura relaxed, putting her hands behind her back. _FINALLY!_ She thought, while hiding her pain with a smile.

"Are you ok Sakura?" Sakura heard Kakashi sensei's voice ask from behind. She turned to find him staring at her worriedly. She nodded before looking back at the boys. _We're all together again…_ she thought, a smile tugging the corners of her mouth up into a grin.

"Sakura." A new voice said. Team 7 turned to find Tsunade back and staring intensely at her apprentice.

"Hai Tsunade-sama?" She asked, bowing her head respectfully before looking back up at her sensei. "You are allowed to go home now." Godaime said, approaching. She pulled Sakura's chin up so she could look closer at her. "Those marks from his hands are still there." She murmured venom of hatred towards the one she spoke of literally almost dripping off of her words. Sakura shivered at the memory. She closed her eyes before looking back at her sensei. "I'll be fine Tsunade-sama, I—"

"I would prefer it if you were in better condition." Tsunade said, cutting her off. "She'll be fine." Sasuke spoke up. He had come up behind Sakura, and he gently took her less injured hand into his. "I'll take care of her."

Tsunade's eyes turned to him. She studied him for a moment before saying, "All right. Well, Team 7, Haruno Tetsuki's trial is in three days. He will be under complete lockdown and forbidden from seeing anyone. I am making it an optional mission for all of you to attend the trial." She said, her eyes turning back to Sakura's. They all nodded. "Sakura, no training for you until after your father's trial. Nothing strenuous either, I mean it. I want to make damn sure that you heal properly this time."

Sakura flinched. _Just how long had Tsunade known_? "Hai, Tsunade-sama." She replied.

"Well, I'm off to go meet Genma and Anko for a drink. See you later!" Tsunade said, grinning before taking off. "Anko?" Kakashi asked aloud. His students saw him grin under his mask as he took off. "I'm coming too!"

They all sweat-dropped.

Naruto turned to face his two teammates. "Well guys, I'm off to go Ichikaru's for ramen! Who's coming?" He asked excitedly.

Silence.

"Aww fine, be that way! I'm going to go eat my beloved ramen!" he shouted, taking off and leaving Sasuke and Sakura to stare off in the direction their three companions had disappeared.

Once their blonde-haired teammate was out of sight, Sasuke bent and scooped Sakura up into his arms bridal style. She squeaked and clung to him, attempting to weigh nothing. "Y-you can put me d-down S-Sasuke-kun. I-I can walk." She stuttered, a little embarrassed. He shook his head as he took off. "You shouldn't be doing anything strenuous for the next three days. You heard what Tsunade-sama said." He said, attempting to sound stern. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"So I'm not allowed to walk?" She asked, wiggling slightly in his arms.

"No." Sasuke replied.

"Why?" Sakura asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Because I said so." Sasuke answered simply.

Sakura felt her cheeks flaming. She didn't say anything the rest of the way. Sasuke landed just outside the Uchiha complex. He leapt over the gate, walking along the street towards his house. Sakura had laid her head against his shoulder, feeling oddly at peace.

As soon as they reached his house, did Sakura try to get down. But as before, Sasuke's grip was too strong to be broken. He gently squeezed her leg by her knee, letting her know that he was not going to put her down just yet.

Sakura squealed with laughter.

Sasuke looked at her, astonished. Sakura had turned a bright shade of crimson. "G-gomen. I-I'm just really ticklish." She could've sworn she'd seen him smile as he turned his head to hide his face.

Sasuke entered a room at the top of the flight of stairs. As gently as he could, he laid Sakura down on the bed. "Stay here, I'll be right back." He said, walking out of the room.

…

With Sakura:

**_HOLY SHIT! I can't believe we just admitted one of our deepest, darkest secrets to him!_** Inner Sakura was screaming.

_Just shut up already, I'm sure he won't think anything of it._

_**Are you KIDDING? What happened to that big-ass brain of yours? **_

_Sigh, Leave me alone._

_**Hehehehe, you saw the way he looked at you earlier…**_

_I said, SHUT UP already! Sasuke-kun would never like me like that, I mean, I—_

_**Tchyeah, whatever. He was SO about to—**_

_I said SHUT UP!_

Sakura flopped back on the bed, covering her eyes with her hands. Inner Sakura continued to rant and rave happily about Sasuke.

…

With Sasuke:

**_HOLY SHIT! I can't believe she said she was ticklish! _**Inner Sasuke exclaimed, throwing a fist in the air.

…

_**You'd better act on that! She wouldn't have told you if she didn't want you to know!**_

…

_I need to focus on making sure she's ok first._

_**You and your good conscience. At least THINK about it, ok?**_

_Hn._

Sasuke entered the room again, a fresh glass of water in one hand and a medic kit in the other. Sakura sat up, wincing slightly from the pain in her ribs. Sasuke set the cup down on the nightstand next to the bed and pulled out two pain killers from the medic kit. He handed them to her and pointed to the glass of water. Sakura got the hint and she swallowed them down quickly, gulping the crisp tasting water down her parched throat. She then felt Sasuke sit on the bed and start to clean the wound on her hand. She tried to pull her hand away, but he held on, gently, but firmly refusing to let go. "I can take care of that, Sasuke-kun." She whispered. He seemed to ignore her, but after a minute he replied. "No. You need to save your strength so you can heal." He said quietly. He finished cleaning the cut and quickly bandaged it.

Next came her fingers. Sakura felt his hands on her shoulders. She looked curiously up into his eyes and her eyes widened with sudden fear as she saw onyx swirl into Sharingan. "This is going to hurt." He spoke in a soft voice, just above a whisper. "You won't feel anything if you're not conscious…" He continued. Sakura saw his eyes change again, and soon before she was able to register what happened, she felt her eyelids drooping.

Once she was out, Sasuke turned his attention back to her hand. He'd made sure that the sleep jutsu he'd used would keep her out for at least three hours. He hoped that it would be longer so she could get her rest. He focused his attention on the first broken finger. He quickly snapped it back into place and then concentrated his chakra to his right hand. He healed the bone almost instantly, silently but yet begrudgingly thanking Kabuto for teaching him this little trick. He repeated the action with her second finger, and he bandaged them both together, splinting them to be sure that they would be ok.

He turned his head back and stared at Sakura's sleeping face. He smiled to himself as he remembered her words from earlier…

_FLASHBACK_

"_It was because of you though." She whispered. "He almost had me back there before you came in. But the second you came into the room, my strength grew and I was able to throw him off of me."_

_END FLASHBACK_

Sasuke smiled as he stood and gently placed a light kiss on Sakura's forehead. _It's really not all that big._ He thought to himself, remembering the bullying she endured when they were younger because of the other kid's cruelness. He picked up her empty glass and silently exited the room, making sure to quietly close the door behind him.


	4. part 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. I just love Kishimoto for creating it.

SHANNARO! Reviewers, you have this awesomely wonderful way of making me feel like I actually matter in this world! My writing comes from the heart, and you guys have been so accepting of it, it just makes me smile. Thank you guys so much for reading and telling me what you all think of my story. I really appreciate it.

I'm so so so so sorry for the slow update. My wireless internet on my comp has been having problems so I have to go call Dell and have them help me fix it because it's driving me CRAZY! I'm sitting in Schlotzky's Deli right now just to have internet! GO AHEAD! Call me lame if you will, I just love you guys that much that I have to update! xD

Ja ne!

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!**

And the thank you's go to…

**sweetmaiden** lol! I will be as soon as my dumb internet stops being a butt munch. xD **Sakura-Girl 2005** Aww, thank you so much! Yeah, I will be. I've already gotten chapter 5 written out and I'm almost done with it. It's nothing BUT SasuSaku fluff! I might change it a little bit so the people in it don't seem too OOC…thanks for reading! **puRpLebLuSh017** lol! OMG your review made me smile. Hehehe! Thank you for making my day! **OtakuAnime131**LOL! Yeah, I HAD to put Kakashi sensei in here somewhere! I mean, it IS a SasuSaku fic, but still. Hehehe! Our Kakashi in our group is COMPLETELY obsessed with Anko, so I thought I would pay a tribute to him by having Kakashi go after her. Lol! Keep and eye out for Naruto and him in future chapters! **narutofan4ever** I swear, he had it coming to him. What goes around comes around, everybody remember that! xD That's not even HALF of what Haruno Tetsuki is going to get though. Sasuke kicked his ass, but that was a head start favor for Tsunade… (laughs evilly) **Mezumi** Oh I will be, don't worry! Like I told Sakura-Girl, I've already gotten chapter 5 started and almost finished. (I was up late last night…hehehe!) **Pinstripe** LOL. Tis all good. Don't worry; you should see my friend Kelsey when she drinks just ONE bottle of Ramunè! xD **Shinobi Darkbeak** Thanks, I will!**Carebear Hater**lol, thanks for reading! xD **Fiona McKinnon** hehehehehehehehehehehehehe! That's awesome. xD **sessygirl66** Here's chapter four! xD **lookuponscarletskies** LMFAO! Woah. XD I'm glad you like it! I hope this chapter will make the wait worthwhile…/ xD Thank you for reading! **HeartAngel** It's ok! I appreciate you staying with me! Thanks for reading! **Raefire606** xD xD xD xD xD **StarFire and Sakura** lol! Of COURSE Sasuke-kun has an inner self! How do you think he keeps his emotions all bottled up inside, hm? xD hehehehehe! Just wait till you read this next chapter. I'm trying to build for chapter 5…xD **neon kun**WOOT! xD**angel bathed in hell fire** Ahh! Omg please don't die! xD My stupid internet has been being emo! I'll update though when I can! I take a notebook with me to school EVERYDAY to work on this story! As soon as I get my wireless fixed on my laptop, I will be updating much more! xD **Magan** OMG……………………WOW! LOL! I'M CONTINUING! I'M CONTINUING! I'M CONTINUING! I'M CONTINUING! I'M CONTINUING! I'M CONTINUING! I'M CONTINUING! I'M CONTINUING! Your review made me laugh so hard I almost fell out of my chair! You're seriously the first reviewer I've ever had do this! FREAKEN AWESOME! Lol! Thanks for reading! **rightnow.** Alright! Here's chapter four!

**Chapter 5 is almost done guys! I'll update again hopefully by this weekend! Thanks for reading!**

**The Strength of the Heart**

**Part Four**

Sakura opened her eyes the next morning. She felt well-rested and her body had made a comfortable niche in the futon she was lying on…_wait, a futon? _

Her green eyes scanned the room quickly, and she froze as they came to rest on a red and white fan painted on the wall near the door.

_Oh yeah, I'm in Sasuke-kun's house…_ Sakura didn't want to get up. The warm blanket over her was tucked around her slender form and it was so _comfortable._ She snuggled back into the cover, relishing in the warmth. She sat bolt upright a moment later. "Wait, I'm in Sasuke-kun's house!" She nearly squeaked. She clamped a hand to her mouth as she realized she must've been too loud. She heard footsteps outside the door and she dove back under the covers, her eyes wide. _What the hell am I doing here? Of all places! _ She thought.   
The door opened. Sakura's breath hitched as she heard, "I know you're not asleep anymore." Sakura didn't move at first, but she heard the door close and she sat up again, looking towards the door, wondering if he was still there. Emerald green eyes met onyx ones. "Ohayo." She whispered her eyes still wide and questioning. He smirked.

"It's afternoon Sakura." He said, coming more into the room and sitting on the bed beside her. "Oh." She said quietly. The events from the previous day suddenly came back to her, and she looked up into Sasuke's eyes. She felt suddenly impulsive, and she pulled him by the shoulders into a fierce hug. She knew that he probably wouldn't want her to be this close, especially on her own volition, but after what transpired yesterday, she wasn't about to let him go now.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow as she stared at him for a moment before grabbing him and pulling him close. He smirked as she buried her face in his chest. His arms went around her, and he returned her desperate embrace.

"Thank you Sasuke-kun." She whispered softly.

It was then that something deep inside Sasuke's heart stirred. It took him a while to recognize the feeling, as it had been smothered by hate the majority of his life. It was there whenever Sakura spoke to him now, whenever she hugged him, and he realized back in the hospital when he'd found her pinned down by her father and he'd wanted to kill the man what it was…

Love.

Sasuke's smirk turned into a smile and he pulled her closer. "I appreciate everything that you've done." Sakura said, pulling away and hiding her face as she dried her tears on her sleeve. "But I have to go." _I can't burden you any longer. I've been nothing but a burden to you, to everyone since my mother died. I've got to become stronger._

Sasuke frowned. "Go where?" He asked, watching her every move. She stood up, looking around the room for her shoes. She found them by the door. She clutched the doorknob in her hand and drew a deep breath before she turned to face him.

"Home. Please, don't follow me." She whispered. She tore her eyes away from his gaze and opened the door. She didn't move exactly as quickly as she would have preferred, but she made it to the base of the stairs and paused only for a moment to slip her shoes on.   
Sasuke didn't come after her. Though he would have chosen to ignore her normally, he'd come to respect her more now. He watched through the window as Sakura left the Uchiha complex, tears obviously evident in her eyes, as she kept wiping them away. His heart told him to go after her, but his feet wouldn't move.

…

Sakura opened the charred door to her house. It had been roughly set back up on its hinges, but it never really stayed. Sakura had to use what chakra she had left in her to lift it from its slumped position to put it back properly. She would have to fix it later.

She climbed the stairs to her room, and opened the door to find it in the exact same condition as she had left it. She grabbed some clothes from her closet and went to the bathroom to shower. After turning the water on and letting it run for a moment to get warm, she stared in the mirror at her reflection. Her body was still bandaged, and she started to undo the bandages so she could get completely clean. When she had removed them all, she stopped and looked at her hand. That would pose a problem. Broken ribs she could handle, but broken fingers? She left those bandages on.

Climbing into the searing hot shower, she let out a yelp as the harsh temperature change shocked her skin. She let the water run through her pink tresses before lathering up shampoo to wash away the smell from the hospital. She hated that smell. She used her other hand, the one with the broken but healing wrist to wash her hair. She yelped in pain as it stung when she torked it out of place trying to rinse her hair. Nerves were pinched and she had to fight the urge to cry as she gathered chakra to her left hand and quickly put the bone back into place.

After showering, Sakura re-wrapped her ribs and turned her eyes angrily down to the healing gash on her leg. She gathered more chakra to her hand and healed it, not wanting to limp anymore. It would not suit her to stumble on her own. She was parentless now, and she had to learn how to take complete care of herself. No one would look after her now, so it was up to her to see that she did.

…

Sasuke went back to the room where Sakura had slept. He sat back down on the bed again, and stared at the pillow. It was then that he noticed a few strands of pink lying on the pillow. A strong sense of regret filled him then. It took him a moment to discover the cause.

He actually _missed_ having her around. He started to wonder how she was doing, if she was all right, if she would have trouble showering in her current state…

Sasuke shook his head hard. He got up and went downstairs. He decided he would go out and train a bit. Sasuke left his house at a dead run. He would have to pass by Sakura's house on his way to the training area.

…

Sakura went downstairs to the kitchen, looking through the refrigerator for something to eat. It was then that she noticed all the alcohol bottles in the kitchen. Some were stowed in the cupboards, others under the sink. Sakura yelled out in anger as she threw one too hard into the trash can. It shattered. She did the same to the others, slamming them as hard as she could into the trash. She pulled them out of the refrigerator and chucked them into the garbage. Once the can was completely full, she vehemently picked it up and kicked the door down so she could get the abominations out of her house. She angrily set the trash can out on the street to be taken out later.

Storming back into her house, she ran down the hallway to her father's office. She tried the door only to find that it was locked. Sakura growled angrily and kicked the door down. The glass from the door shattered and she walked over it, entering her father's study. It was rather large, seeing as he spent nearly all his waking hours in there when he was not on a mission…_Or beating the fuck out of me._ She added bitterly and mentally. She began opening the drawers to his desk.

They were filled with memories of her mother. Things that her father had said that had disappeared long ago were still in the drawers. Pictures, clippings of hair, her mother's wedding ring…Sakura froze when she saw something at the bottom of the drawer. It was a photo taken of her family just after she was born. Haruno Keseki was smiling brightly at the camera while her little daughter with wisps of pink hair reached up for her mother, a happy smile on her year old face. Sakura's hatful eyes turned to look at her father. He looked stoic as ever, but he had his arm wrapped around her mother's waist. A ghost of a smile was on his face as he looked down at his one and only child.

Sakura tore her eyes away from the picture. She gently set it down on the desk as she continued to go through the drawers. She froze as she found something in the bottom of the last drawer. It was something that Sakura knew with all her heart was illegal.

Drugs.

Her green eyes widened as she pulled the bag out of its hiding place behind a book. The bag was filled with the stuff, and it stank like nothing else. Sakura got up and hurriedly raced outside, the bag held completely and as far away from her as possible.

She heard footsteps down the street and her eyes widened as she saw her teammate approaching. Sakura quickly and fervently shoved the bag into the garbage, but cut her hand on one of the broken sake bottles. Crying out in frustration, she raced back inside, hoping that Sasuke would just continue on with whatever he had to do.

No such luck.

Sasuke paused on the street facing Sakura's house. His onyx eyes traveled briefly to the open trashcan outside. He raised an eyebrow upon seeing the broken sake bottles and the peculiar-looking bag which had just been stuffed in the center. He bent and studied it for a moment before catching a whiff of what it contained. His eyes narrowed in anger and he headed straight for Sakura's front door, which by now, had been given up on as a lost cause.

Sakura was scrubbing the open cut on her hand as harshly as possible. The wound itself was clean almost instantly, having been a clean slice, but Sakura kept on scrubbing. She found the pain to be a good distraction of her current thoughts.

She hated her father more.

Instead of learning to deal with his pain in a normal way, he chose to start using drugs, which had in turn made his temper even worse. Sakura _knew_ something had been up with him every time he emerged from his office. Now she had the answer.

The water from the faucet ran hard down her hand, her blood staining it an auburn-ish color. Soon, the sink had been stained with the fresh blood flowing from her hand. Sakura tried her hardest to hold back her tears.

She failed to notice someone sneaking up behind her.

Two large hands grasped her shoulders and spun her quickly around. Sakura cried out in surprise, and the person's grip on her shoulders softened considerably. She looked up to see Sasuke glaring down at her.

"Wh-what the hell are you—?"

"I think I should be asking you that." He cut her off coldly. He pointed to the bag which had been sitting outside on top of the trashcan, and in full view. "Why?" He asked after a moment.

Sakura rolled her eyes, understanding what he meant. "Just chill out Uchiha, ok?" She said, moving past him, hiding her bloody hand. "Have a seat. I'd offer you a drink, but as you can see, all the sake is gone." Her tone was hatful and angry. Sasuke's eyes narrowed further as he saw her hand behind her back. He saw blood drip on the floor as she moved. "Sakura, what happened?" He asked, walking from the kitchen towards her by the stairs. "Nothing!" She shouted, turning away from him.

"I'm just cleaning up the mess that fucking bastard left. None of this is mine!" She screamed, pointing to the mess in her father's office and then to the trashcan outside full of the broken alcohol bottles. "I'm _always_ getting the privilege of cleaning up after his ass! Why should now be any different?" Tears had worked their way to her eyes and had completely ignored her orders not to fall. She turned her head and moved to go upstairs, but Sasuke caught her by her arm. _It just had to be the arm connected to my freshly wounded hand…_She thought bitterly.   
"I'm fine. Please, just leave me alone." She said coldly.

"Sakura…"

"I said I'm _fine_!" She cried, yanking her hand away from him and running up the stairs. She ran into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, looking around a second later for the bandages.

Sasuke waited a moment before following her. He knew from what she said that the sake and the drugs weren't hers, but he couldn't help but be concerned by her words. He stood outside the bathroom door and knocked on it.   
"There's no reason for you to be here Sasuke-kun. You've probably got other things to do. Just leave me alone." Sakura's voice came through the door. She sounded hurt.

Sasuke knocked again, not responding. Sakura ignored him this time, slumping against the wall and burying her head in her arms.

He knocked again.

Sakura had started crying, doing her best to ignore him. She didn't need this, especially now. Upon seeing her mother's face again in the picture for the first time in three years, all the haunting memories and nightmares came back to her.

It was her fault.

Her father had been right all this time. The drugs proved that. He couldn't deal with her death on his own, so he had to cover up his pain with mindless bliss. Then, when the drugs had started to fail him, he began to drink heavily, quickly becoming an alcoholic. Sakura also noticed his change in the way that he treated her too. He'd always been strict with her, but that changed to her getting beaten, sometimes even to the point of needing medical help. She'd gone to training everyday, hoping to hide the numerous wounds and bruises that she'd received from her father. Tsunade had seemed a little apprehensive at first to accept her brainwashed excuses on how she got the marks. But not wanting to be untrustworthy of her apprentice, she always went with it, accepting the excuses with a grain of salt, keeping each bruise and cut in her photographic memory for future reference. Now that Sakura really thought about it, Tsunade must have known for almost two years, ever since she started creating the cover-up excuses. Her teammates also never noticed. Naruto was always too oblivious to notice, Kakashi sensei always had his nose buried in that stupid orange book of his, and also he always focused more on Naruto and Sasuke more than her.

Sasuke. He was a whole other story. Sakura had never really paid much attention to him ever since he'd returned, which meant that she never really knew if he noticed her or not. Sakura just continued to believe that he didn't care, just as he always had back before he'd left Konoha. But now that he was back…

"Sakura, please open the door." Sasuke's voice came through.

Sakura sniffed before she fervently wiped her eyes, saying, "The lock's been broken for two years now Sasuke. It's open." She replied, hiding her face once again. She silently prayed that he would just turn around and leave, once he found that she'd not completely locked him out. But again, lady luck was not on her side today. Or ever, it seemed. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut as more tears started to flow. She'd always gotten the short end of the stick for years. Now, it seemed like everyone was sitting back and enjoying another good laugh at her.

The door opened.

Footsteps approaching told her that Sasuke had _not_ left.

Sasuke looked down at his teammate in the corner of the bathroom. She was sitting on the other side of the bathroom, her knees tucked up to her chin and her arms crossed over her knees. Her hand was still bleeding. The bandages lay forgotten under the sink. He picked them up and carefully took her hand.   
"Sakura." He said, hoping that she would at least act like he was there. She didn't respond. "I told you to please leave me alone."

"I'm not going to do that because that's not what you need." He replied. Sakura's head came up, her eyes were red and tears had streaked her face. "How the hell do you know what I need?" She asked her voice not as cold. "And since when do you give a shit?"

Sasuke knelt down next to her. "Since I realized I was a complete idiot for ever leaving in the first place." He replied. Sakura's jaw dropped slightly. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to make sense of what she'd just heard, her ears not quite believing it.

"And I know that being alone is the very _last_ thing that you need because I know what you're going through." He said darkly. Sakura's eyes dropped from his face. _Heh, yeah, whatever._ She thought.

"My brother betrayed my clan, killing everyone that was important to me. He even tormented me more as the years went by, as he would constantly hold the fact that I was weak and powerless to save my family over my head. I about drove myself insane with all the guilt."

Sakura looked back at him. "What kept you from going over the edge?" She asked in a soft voice.

"You." He replied, lifting her chin.

Sakura's eyes widened at this. "Look, I know that condolences are the last thing you need right now, but I know how you feel. I'm not going to just leave you alone, because I will be dammed if someone else important to me goes through what I did." He said fiercely.

Sakura couldn't tear her eyes away this time. Tears had formed in her eyes again, and they slowly streamed down her cheeks. Sasuke cupped her chin and whipped them away with his thumb.

"Don't put yourself through this Sakura. I know what's happened. Believe it or not, ever since I came home, _you_ have been all that I've thought about. What you said to me the last time I saw you before I left has been running through my mind. I didn't want to hurt you more like Itachi had done to me. Just by leaving I was killing you, and I was going to kill myself before I ever became like my brother."

Sakura couldn't say anything. Her heart pounded hard in her chest as more and more the urge for her to just yank him to her became stronger.

"Your mother died because of the severity of her wounds. Your ability had absolutely _nothing_ to do with the fact that she died. You did the right thing by going to get Tsunade-sama. She even said that she couldn't save your mother."

Sakura started to cry again, hard. Her shoulders shook as tears racked her body. She felt herself being lifted and pulled close.

"It wasn't your fault." Sasuke whispered in her ear. Sakura only cried harder. "It wasn't your fault." The pain that she'd pent up inside her was now coming out in waves, making her whole entire body hurt like hell. Sakura cried hard. Harder than she had in all the time that her mother had been gone. The pain was so intense she'd curled herself up into a ball, hugging her legs to her chest.

Sasuke let her cry. She needed to get all this out. He could see that it had been eating away at her.

"I-I'm so weak." She whispered after she'd calmed down slightly. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Crying doesn't make you weak. My brother cried when he was dying, and he was the strongest person that I knew." Sakura turned her tear-filled eyes up to him.

"Sakura, just let it go." He whispered, brushing her hair from her eyes. Sakura's face scrunched up again as she felt another wave of sadness come on. She failed in trying to hold it back. Sasuke pulled her to him, holding her close as she let go once again. Her arms tightened around him, her small form perfectly molding with his. He took silent note of this, but didn't say anything.

Sasuke even felt tears start to come as Sakura whispered, "I-I miss her so much."

"I know." His voice cracked. Sakura looked him in the eyes and for the _very first_ time ever since she'd met him when she was seven, she saw tears in his eyes too. "I know how you feel. I miss my family too." He said softly. "Sasuke-kun!" Sakura pulled him close to him again, holding him as if her life depended on it. She was crying again, this time, not just for her mother, but for his parents as well.

He completed her.

She completed him.

Sakura was perhaps the only person in Konoha that knew how it felt to be him. She also was the only girl who ever said that she loved him with all her heart. She wasn't the annoying fan girl that she used to be. She'd grown into a strong, amazing and yes beautiful kunoichi. He held her close to him, his strong arms holding her protectively close. He breathed in the scent of her freshly cleaned hair.

Cherry Blossoms. He smiled into a mess of pink. She was his cherry blossom. One that he would swear his life to protect and take care of forever.

It was a long time before either of them moved. Sasuke could feel her heartbeat against his chest. It had gradually slowed as she'd calmed down. That was when he noticed the small pool of blood on the floor from where her hand had come to rest. He carefully took her hand and lifted it so he could wrap it with the bandages he'd set down next to them. Sakura didn't say anything, but allowed him to take care of the cut once more, as he had done before.

When he was finished, he set the remaining bandages next on the ledge of the bathtub. He looked out the window next to the tub and out at the sky. The sky had turned a brilliant orange color tinged with pink.

It was getting late.

"C'mon Sakura." He said softly, pulling her up with him. She didn't argue. Once they were standing, Sasuke started to walk them towards the door. After they were out on the landing next to Sakura's room, Sasuke stopped them. "I want you to pack your things. I don't want you staying here anymore." He said in her ear. Sakura looked back up at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. He smiled.   
"Just do it." He said, the smile never leaving his face. She nodded slightly, moving from his arms to her room. She grabbed her bag she always used when she went on missions and filled it quickly with clothing, medic supplies and a few of her textbooks that Tsunade had her studying. She paused in the doorway to go back and grab her picture of Team 7 that had rested on her desk. Sasuke smiled as he watched her slip it tenderly into her bag. Once she came back out, he was waiting for her. "Sorry to keep you." She said quietly.

"That was important. Don't worry about it." He said, pointing to the pocket where the picture was. She blushed slightly as she bowed her head, nodding. "Let's get out of here." He said, taking her bag by the strap and lifting it easily from her shoulder. He moved so swiftly she didn't have the chance to protest. Sakura followed him down the stairs and through the living room. She paused as she remembered something.   
"Sasuke-kun?" She whispered. He turned around after walking over the charred door on the ground. "Hm?" He asked. Sakura had one hand in a fist up by her chin, the other held out, as if trying to pull him back. "Give me one second!" She said, before she turned around and raced back into her house. She ran into her father's office, pulling the picture of her family out of the frame and ripping it in half. She grabbed the two pieces of the picture, stuffed them under her shirt, and ran back outside to meet him.

He had carefully tied up the bag of garbage from the trashcan, and set it off to the side, apart from the rest of the garbage. Sakura noticed this, but didn't say anything on it.

"Ready?" He asked. Sakura threw one last glance at her house.

It was nothing without the people that used to be her family.

"Ready." She replied, joining him in the walk to his house. She stayed by his side the entire time, never once looking back.


	5. part 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto; I just wish that Sasuke-kun was REAL!

Thank you so much readers! You guys seriously kick ass.

And the thank you's go to…

**lookupon scarletskies** hehehe. Really? That's great! I mean, umm…wow. xD Thank you so much! I hope that you won't envy me too much longer. I'm not perfect ya know. xD **Shinobi Darkbeak** xD Thank you, I will try to!

**Carebear Hater** Oooo, that sounds like fun! How bout we do that over the summer, ne? I'll be out of school hopefully by the end of May…

**Outsane** hehehe! I absolutely love your sn. That's funny! xD I hope that you like this chapter! It's full of SasuSaku goodness!

**Magan** LOL!

**StarFire and Sakura** LOL, yep! You'll see what happens to that pic of her family in future chapters.

**Dragon Snow** Oooo, I don't know! He'll be turning greener than his weirdo green attire, I can assure you! xD Just wait till you see what happens!

**NenotokiKumori** OMG, I know right? I absolutely DETEST yaoi pairings, ESPECIALLY SasuNaru. That's just WRONG! SasuSaku all the way! (jumps up and down waving her poms) anyways, it's cool if you IM me! I can't promise that I won't go "poof" though because I have wireless internet, but I'll try to talk! lol!

**OtakuAnime131** _Sasuke:_ Hn, Arigatou OtakuAnime131. My heart still belongs to Sakura though…

**Raefire606** / I hope that you don't hate this chapter then…it might seem a little OOC. But check out the A/N before reading!

**HeartAngel** Hehe. The reason I've been able to update so quickly with this story is that I've taken a break from Stained Cherry Blossoms. My beta (best friend) is grounded again until she takes the SAT over, so she's gone poof. I'll pick back up on it later. But yeah, I absolutely HATE when my fav. authors wait MONTHS in between updates! I can't wait that long! GOTTA FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS! So I've decided not to do that to you all. I'm nearing the end of my spring break, so I won't be able to write as NEARLY as much, but I WILL be updating at least once a week. xD

**The warmth of the Afterglow** Dun da dun dun DUN! Just wait until next chapter! HALF of it is going to be Haruno Tetsuki's interrogation. Hehehe. He's um…shall we say…_fucked?_

**AnimexMusica** Sure! OMG…you've got emo internet too? LMAO! Don'tcha just simply ADORE wireless internet? Lol!

**arizonachick** xD ARIGATOU! I know right? SASUSAKU FOREVER! Lol!

**rightnow.** lol! Arigatou!

This story is coming along, ne? I'm so happy everyone is reading. It has been so wonderful working on this story. I thank everyone for reading and sticking with me! Here's chapter five!

This chapter is mainly SasuSaku. Sorry if there is OOCness! But it IS after Sasuke avenges his clan. You'd think he'd lighten up a little, right? Right? Well, he's going to! SasuSaku fans, this is for you guys! lol!

**The Strength of the Heart**

**Part Five**

Sakura watched as the familiar grounds of the Uchiha complex came into view. Her heart leapt into her throat as she realized that she would _never again _have to return to her father's house.

She was free…at last.

**_SHANNARO! That bastard will never bother us again!_** Inner Sakura was yelling. She was jumping up and down, throwing her fists into the air.

_Ha, yeah I know right? I'm glad that Sasuke-kun is warming up a little bit too…_

**_Are you fucking kidding me?_ **Inner Sakura exclaimed. **_I'm surprised you two haven't—_**

_Holy shit, don't jinx me! We're just _friends,_ remember?_

_**Tchyeah, ok. I'll believe that for now. But you're the only one who's gotten this close to him besides his brother ever since his family was murdered.**_

Sakura thought long and hard on what Inner Sakura said. She wasn't quite sure what would happen now, especially now because she would not be living in her father's home. Her eyes drifted over to her teammate. He certainly had changed, a whole HELL of a lot. Sure, he was taller, stronger, and MUCH more handsome now that he was almost 19, but he'd also changed emotionally too. The old Sasuke would have _never_ confided in her, would _never_ have comforted her, and most _especially_ taken care of her the way that he had. Sakura tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as she thought. _Sasuke-kun has changed a lot too…_

"Sakura?"

Sakura snapped herself out of her thoughts. She looked back at Sasuke, blushing slightly at being caught thinking about him. _It's been a while since that happened…_

He smirked, noting her discomfort. "We're here."

Sakura looked up as she walked through the gate. The Uchiha Clan symbol was displayed on the blue curtains hanging just inches below the entrance. Sakura shivered slightly, imagining the magnitude of the Clan's massacre. The only Uchiha that now remained after all these years was standing before her now. He was waiting patiently for her as she made her way back into the complex. _He was waiting for me…_She thought to herself. She smiled slightly as she caught up with him. Taking his hand, she pulled him along.

"C'mon Sasuke-kun! I'll race you home!" He smirked, one eyebrow raised as he fought to hide a smile. _Home…_He thought.

**_FUCK YEAH! Did you see the look on her face? She _wants_ to be here! I TOLD you she was a perfect choice to restore the Clan with! _**His inner self cheered.

For the first time, Sasuke didn't argue.

"I thought Tsunade-sama said not to do anything strenuous." He said as Sakura pulled him along. "Oh honestly! The only strenuous thing that I'm doing right now is dragging you! I thought you were faster than this! What happened to all those years of training—?" Sakura said, turning around and trying to run harder. She was cut off instantly as Sasuke scooped her up in his arms and raced towards his house. The minute that he arrived on his doorstep, he smirked at her. She smiled right back. "Cheater." She whispered, trying to take her bag from him. But he wouldn't let go. He wouldn't let her down either. "I didn't cheat." He said, leaning closer to her. "I guess I just needed some motivation."

Sakura smiled. "Anytime." Her heart started to pound hard against her ribs, and she tried hard to cover her blush.

"Um...can I get down now Sasuke-kun?" She whispered after a moment. His eyes dropped from her face and he carefully set her down in front of the door. "Yeah, sorry." He muttered.

**_AWWWW! That was so cute! You made THE Uchiha Sasuke blush…weeeeeeee!_** Inner Sakura was cheering.

Sakura rolled her eyes. _Oh just shut up already, will you? _

_**Hehehehe, you know I'm right you know! **_

_BAH! Just go away!_

_**I can't you billboard head, I'm YOU!**_

Sakura did her best to stifle a growl. "Stupid, lame, retarded…" she looked back up at Sasuke who was staring at her oddly.

"Uhhh, I just um, was thinking about something Ino said the other day!" She said sheepishly, sweat dropping.

He smirked. _Sure…_ he thought. "C'mon." He said, moving forward and _much_ to Sakura's surprise, taking her hand. He led her back upstairs to the room she'd woken up in that morning. Her eyes took in the room's features as she entered. She went and sat down on the bed, exhausted.

"Sakura." She looked up to see Sasuke watching her. She gave him a questioning look.

"I need you to tell me what happened." He said softly.

At this, Sakura rolled over; tears forming in her eyes as the events from her last encounter with her father came flooding back to her like a tidal wave. "Why?" She whispered.

She felt Sasuke sit down on the bed next to her and lean over her shoulder so he could see her face. "It's important. His trial is in two days, and I've gathered enough information to keep him labeled as an S-class Nin forever." Sakura buried her face in the pillow.

"So why do you need me to explain anything? You've got enough information already!"

"Sakura, please. This is to make sure he gets a proper sentence with no chance at parole. Do you want him to be able to find someway to worm his way out of a sentence that he deserves?"

Sakura was silent.

"No." She whispered after a moment. She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Tsunade wanted to do this in her office with the council members present, but I mentioned that it probably wouldn't be a good idea." Sasuke said, bowing his head.

"So you volunteered to interrogate me privately?" Sakura whispered, hot tears burning her cheeks.

Sasuke was silent. He didn't want to make this any harder than it already was. "I'm sorry." He said in a low voice. Sakura looked up at him then. She could see the concern in his eyes.

She drew a deep breath, sitting up and wiping her tears harshly from her eyes. Composing herself, she looked him in the eyes. "If it will keep him away from me forever I will tell you." She said in a soft but steady voice.

Sasuke felt his eyes narrow. "I can guarantee that." He said in a determined tone, two fingers lifting her chin a little higher so she could see that he was serious. "I won't _ever_ let that bastard near you as long as I live." He growled. Sakura's eyes widened a little at his unexpected response. "Ok." She whispered, pulling his hand down with both of hers.

"It all mainly started three years ago…" She began.

…

Sasuke had listened intently, doing his best to keep his anger in check when Sakura went through each time that her father had hurt her. The cause of her uneasiness and distrust in others becoming painfully apparent as she told him what happened each time she was asked about an unusual injury. When she told him about the threat her father had placed on her the night she'd been on the phone with Ino, he reached behind her head, fingers probing the sensitive area from her healed concussion. She winced as the scar tissue flared up a sharp pain, but didn't push him away. "I never said anything after that." She whispered. "Tsunade-sama never asked me twice how I got an injury. I lied to her telling her that I'd just trained too hard with Lee-san. Looking back on it, I guess it was a stupid thing to do because she _is_ the top medic-Nin in all of Konoha. She must have known all along what was going on…" Sakura closed her eyes, her hands covering her face, ashamed. "I can't believe I was so stupid!" She said. "I should have been braver and asked someone for help!" She pulled on her hair in frustration.   
Sasuke caught her hands in his own. "There's no way you could have taken him out alone, and I doubt very seriously that you would have had enough allies on your side at the time. He was very well-loved by Konoha."

Sakura groaned. "Don't remind me." She muttered.

"But I do wish you'd confided in Naruto, Kakashi and I sooner." He continued, his voice growing almost stern. "We're a team, Sakura. Looking out for each other is what we do. Do you remember the point of our first mission together?"

Sakura nodded, tears burning her eyes as she bowed her head in shame.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered.

She felt two strong arms pull her close. "You're not the one who should be apologizing right now." He said quietly. "You didn't ask for this."

Sakura shook her head. "But I was an idiot in thinking that if I just let him get away with it that he'd eventually get bored with me and leave me alone." She whispered.

"Sakura, the bastard almost killed you more than once. How far do you think he would have gone?" Sasuke asked sharply. Sakura winced. "Almost all the way." She answered, shuddering. Sasuke then abruptly pulled her away so he could look her in the eyes. "He didn't, you know…?" He asked his eyes wide.

Sakura shook her head no. "No. I kept it. He almost took it that last night though. If you and ANBU hadn't shown up when you did, he more than likely would have taken it…" Sakura's voice trailed off as she watched her teammate's reaction.

He breathed a huge sigh of relief. "I'm glad we got there in time." He said softly.

"I promise you nothing like this will ever happen to you again." Sasuke said, pulling her tightly to him. She relaxed in his arms, feeling safe once again.

**_Hehehehe. You just _try_ to tell me that he doesn't care about you! _**Inner Sakura squealed.   
For once, Sakura didn't argue.

A long moment of silence passed between them before Sakura finally spoke. "So, do you have enough information now, Mr. ANBU Captain?" She whispered. She felt his embrace tighten.

"Hn." He replied.  
Sakura smiled. "Ok…" She whispered. "Ya know, I've been hearing that for years and still have yet to figure out what the hell you mean by it." She said, allowing her head to lean over onto his shoulder as she closed her eyes.

Sasuke smirked. "You'll figure it out sometime. I know you're not that stupid." Sakura tried to sit up to look him in the eyes, but Sasuke wouldn't let her go.

"Hey Uchiha, that wasn't fair!" She exclaimed. She felt his hand loosen slightly and she chose that moment to try to get away. But she felt his fingers slip under her arm, pinching her right side lightly.

She squealed with laughter. "Kyaa! Sasuke-kun! I'm warning you! That's not fair!"

He pinned her to the bed, allowing her a moment to breathe. He smirked again. "Not fair? You're not complaining again, are you?" Sakura's eyes widened in shock at his words.

_Is he serious? I have n_ever _seen Sasuke-kun act any other way besides stoic and cold! Has he really changed this much?_

_**Hehehehe. He WAS away for a long time. Plus, his "avenger" role has been achieved. WHAT DID I TELL YOU GIRL? Now GO GET HIM!**_

Sakura smirked. She reached above her head and grabbed her pillow. She threw it at his face, distracting him long enough to squirm out of his grasp and flip backwards off the bed, landing gracefully on her feet in a fighting stance. A challenging grin overtook her face as he stood to face her.

"Oh, so now you're challenging me to a fight because you lost? You're no different than Naruto."

Her jaw dropped as his mouth quirked up in another famous Uchiha smirk. "I so did NOT lose!" She came at him, her arms almost plastered to her sides to protect herself from another "attack."

Sasuke smiled as she dropped, swinging her leg around, hoping to bring him to the floor as well. He actually tried to feint to the left, but Sakura's foot caught him just behind the back of his left knee, bringing him to the floor with her. She smiled triumphantly as she pinned him down. "HA! I have Tsunade-sama to thank for this one!" She said happily. Her right hand pinched his left side, and she heard something that warmed her heart…

His laughter.

Her eyes widened as he managed to get himself free and grab her foot. He pulled her shoe off and tickled the sole. She yelped with surprise before laughing so hard that she snorted. Her face turned bright red and she clamped both hands over her mouth, her eyes wide and watching for his reaction. He was giving her a look of pure disbelief before he burst out laughing again.

"Nice." He said as they both stood. Sakura blinked as he disappeared for a second.

"Where—?" She froze when she felt someone behind her.

"Sakura…" Her eyes widened as a sudden flood of memories came back to her. She instinctively put her hands around her neck, guarding herself from being vulnerable to that move again.

"…Always mind your surroundings."

Her teary eyes looked behind her to find him smirking. His heart jolted as he saw tears in her eyes. The smirk turned into a frown as his eyes narrowed. Sakura's eyes widened and she suddenly threw her arms around his neck.

"Sakura? What's..?" He didn't get to finish his sentence as Sakura pulled away. "I just, never mind." She whispered. She walked away, going and sitting back down on the bed again.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly.

Sasuke frowned as he came back over and sat down next to her. He took her hand in his, idly checking the condition of the split he'd put on. His eyes traveled up to Sakura's face. She was staring at the floor, her eyes barely visible through her half-way closed eyelids.

"What is it?" He asked, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. She wiped her tears away and hid her face. "N-nothing. It's just…that's what you said to be right before you left and…" Her voice trailed off.

Sasuke closed his eyes. _Fuck, even after all this time has passed I'm still hurting her?_

**_You're never gonna get her to restore the clan with you if you keep this up buddy._** Inner Sasuke admonished.

_Can you not stay quiet for, oh lets see…FOREVER?_

_**HA! Like you can really shut me up! I'm the SENSIBLE part of your brain! Now start acting like you care about her because I know you do. I'm YOU!**_

Sasuke sighed.   
He felt Sakura start to pull away, but he refused to let her go. He pulled her close once more, her head falling on his chest as his right arm encircled her small frame in a half-hug. "I'm not going anywhere." He whispered in her ear.

Sakura turned her eyes up to his face. His brows were furrowed and his eyes were closed. She pushed herself up and turned a little to get a good look at his face. She leaned in close to him and asked softly, "You promise?"

His eyes opened. Onyx met emerald and the two blended together as their gazes held for a long time.

"I promise."

Sakura pulled him to her again and this time, refused to let go.

"I love you, Sasuke-kun." She whispered after a moment. Sasuke let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He hugged her tighter. _Now _that's _my Sakura…_He thought.

"Arigatou." He whispered softly. Sakura took a deep breath, breathing in his scent. She'd always loved him, and always will. There was never a question or doubt in her mind when it came to him. She closed her eyes, fighting to hold the tears in.

As long as she was close to him, she would be happy.

**A/N: Sorry guys for such a short chapter! I'm working on chapter six right now. Haruno Tetsuki's interrogation and trial. I haven't completely finished it yet, but I wanted to get this out so you can see some of the changes that Sasuke and Sakura have gone through. I apologize if it was a little OOC. But a LOT of time has passed since Sasuke left Konoha. So don't worry. xD **

**Ja ne!**


	6. Part 6

**Disclaimer: **Yeah, yeah, yeah, this is getting old, ne? (sigh) FINE! I DON'T OWN IT I DON'T OWN IT I DON'T OWN IT!

Happy? lmao.

Readers…

The moment you've all been waiting for…

_HAS ARRIVED!_ HOLY SHIT OVER 20 REVIEWS FOR CHAPTER FOUR! SHANNARO!

xD

**And of course the Thank you's go to…**

**arizonachick** Thank you so much! Yeah, Sasuke-kun has changed a lot, ne? xD **sweetmaiden** LOL. That's ok, I'm not mad at you! xD I hope you liked this chapter! **puRpLebLuSh017** THANK YOU SO MUCH! **Mezumi** lol, thank you! This chapter took me forever to get out. I went back several times and edited it and changed some things too. **narutofan4ever** Arigatou!

**Shinobi Darkbeak** Hehe, thank you!**StormDragon666** lol! There's more fluff in the next chapter. **Heartless Ghost** HAI! xD You all will seriously be squealing at the start of the next chapter. WEEEE! **StarFire and Sakura**Oooo, yeah. You'll see though. Next chapter is gonna be dramatic, not gory, but dramatic. **HeartAngel** lol, hehehehehe! It's all good! xD

**OtakuAnime131** ( I hope that you will be ok! Cheer up! xD **MeiMeiPrettyFlower** Yeah, Inner Sakura makes me laugh sometimes. She's a little freaky but the comic relief can be a good thing, ne? xD **angel bathed in hell fire** lol! Its not that I'm _resisting_ the puppy-dog face…I just have other responsibilities! xD But you guys are important, don't worry! I'm always working on this fic as well as my other one. It just takes me a while to get them updated because I don't want to mess up the storyline, yeah? Haste makes waste ya know. xD (I'm sounding like Deidara with all this "yeah?" xD jk.)**AnimexMusica** Ah HA! So it seems you have the CURSED internet as well, ne? GAH! I hate wireless. It eats IMs too, so when I'm on AIM, not all my messages go through, or not all the incoming ones go through either. Makes for a very ANNOYING conversation if you catch my meaning. **Blue Moiraine Sedai** OMG, thank you. I've been really stressing about trying to make sure that I don't have Sasuke and Sakura too both becoming too OOC, but they've both gone through so much, that there ARE going to be dramatic changes in them, you know? Thank you so much for the reassurance! **Outsane** Teehehehehehehehehe! **hot-ninja-babe** lol! I will! xD **neon kun** lol, its ok! I'm just so glad that you're still reading! Thank you! **blackXheart** Yeah he is. You don't know the HALF of it, really. Thank you so much for reading! **-just a random person-** lol, nice sn btw! Hehehe. Thank you! **Magan** OMG, what does that mean? I've seen that before, I just don't have any idea what it means! xD **Buyo-Chans** YES HE DOES YES HE DOES YES HE DOES YES HE DOES YES HE DOES! Sasuke has just been too stoic and stubborn as hell to admit them! xD Thanks for reviewing! xD **Raefire606** Yeah, I know right? OMG. Please tell me if this chapter was too OOC for them. There's going to be some huge changes in here and I want to make sure I keep their characters in check. xD Thanks for reading! **snow-leopard-demon24** lol, its ok its ok! xD I'm working on it! Hehehe! Thanks for reviewing!

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Me: Sasuke-kun, lookit! People actually LIKE the story!

Sasuke: Hn

Me: Oh honestly, just admit that you like it!

Sasuke: We kissed.

Me: Yes, you all did. Now be happier! I KNOW you have feelings for her!

Sasuke: (frowns) Am I that easy to read?

Me: Unfortunately. But that's not a bad thing!

I know you all just want me to shut up already and get on with it, ne? Well, FINE! Lol!

Many thanks to you all for reading and sticking with me on this!

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**The Strength of the Heart**

**Part 6**

His eyes pierced the darkness. He'd grown to get over his fear of the dark, as his mother was no longer alive to comfort him to tell him that his dreams were only in his imagination.

He'd heard a scream.

Sasuke ran down the hall and burst through Sakura's door. She was sitting on the floor next to her bed, curled up in a fetal position. Her head was hidden by a pillow.

"No…please, STOP!" She shrieked. She flinched and pulled the pillow over her head tighter.

His initial shock wore off, and he deftly moved forward, pulling the pillow from her face so that she could breathe.

Sakura's eyes opened suddenly. They were wide and terrified.

Sasuke's heart shattered. "Sakura…" He whispered. She slowly blinked, her mind registering where she was.   
"You're no longer in his house…" Sasuke said quietly, putting his hand on her shoulder. He helped her sit up. Sakura turned her head away to hide her tears. _I'm such an idiot._ She thought angrily to herself. _I can't even defend myself in my dreams…_ She stood up, walking over to the window.   
"I'm sorry that I woke you." She whispered softly. She grabbed her kunai holster from the dresser, pulling her hitai-ate on and tying it in place; wearing it as she usually did. "I'm going out for a bit. See you in the morning." She said. With that, she leapt out the window, landing gracefully on the ground below.

Sasuke rushed to the window, watching her tear off into the night. He frowned, making sure that his kunai holster was in place before he followed her.

Sakura ran. She didn't know exactly where she was going, but she kept running, hoping that her brain had some idea of where her feet were taking her. She'd left on pure emotion…_Bad idea._ She thought. She _knew_ that she was violating one of the main rules of being a shinobi.

"Rule Number 25…" She recited. "Never allow emotion to get in the way of conscious thought…" Or _something to that effect._

She came to a stop at Konoha's gates. They were tall, magnificent, and guarding. They were what kept Konoha safe from intruders and miscreants. _But they weren't smart enough to see through the scum that was already in the village…_ She thought. _Fuck, what the hell am I thinking? Walls can't be smart! They're inanimate objects! _ She rolled her sea foam green eyes angrily as she turned on her heel abruptly to go back the way she came.

SLAM

Sakura looked up, dazed at what had just happened. "Wh-what the hell?" She muttered, rubbing her head.

"I was going to ask you the same question."

Sakura looked up at the person standing in front of her. His raven hair spiked slightly in the back, but it had been a while since he'd cut it. His obsidian eyes studied her, his emotions still slightly masked behind his eyes.

"Sorry." She muttered.

He held out a hand to help her up. She sighed, taking it and allowing him to pull her up. "What are you doing out here so late?" He asked looking down at her. She was quiet for a moment. "I just needed to clear my head." She whispered, echoing her words from so long ago.

Sasuke noted this and his eyes narrowed. "I've heard that before." He said, putting an arm around her shoulders and turning them both around.

"You're not telling me something." He said. It wasn't a question, she knew. But she still felt compelled to answer nevertheless.

"It's stupid." She murmured.

She felt his grip around her tighten.

"C'mon." he said softly. He led her into the forest, deeper and deeper until Sakura could hear running water. She looked up at Sasuke questioningly. He smiled slightly, but didn't say anything. They came through the trees and into a clearing. Sakura gasped.

He'd led her to a secret-like place. The sound of the rushing water came from the small river that poured down in a tall waterfall. Along the bank off to the right there was a tall Sakura tree. The moonlight bathed everything in a soft, gentle light, illuminating the clear, moving water, sending spouts of light over the rocks and onto everything in its open path. Their faces were washed with the reflected light, giving the site an almost secretive feeling.

"Sasuke-kun, what is this place?" Sakura whispered her eyes wide.

"I found this place a long time ago…" He said quietly. "It was where I used to come when I was still with Orochimaru. I'd take off in the middle of the night just to come here to find some peace." Sakura gaped at him. She couldn't believe it.   
"You really were close to home…" She said, looking up into his eyes. He smirked slightly. "Yeah."

He led her to the bank and sat down. He waited for her to follow suit. Sakura slowly sank to her knees, her fingertips grazing the blades of grass beside her. Her eyes were filled with mixed emotions as she stared over at the Sakura tree across the stream.

He was silent. He knew that pressing someone who was hardly open about their inner feelings was not a good idea; so he waited.

Sakura sighed, almost resigning to the peace that was suddenly washing through her. Her emerald eyes looked over at her teammate. He hadn't said anything, but was just watching her, letting her collect her thoughts. She drew a shaky breath before squeezing her hands together on her lap. "Why did you bring me here?" She asked softly.

He sat up, gently pulling her by her shoulder so she faced him. "Because I've been where you are." He answered quietly. "I'm not so dumb as to not recognize when you'd been having a nightmare." Sasuke lifted her chin. "He's gone, but deep inside he's still torturing you, isn't he?" Sasuke's voice was soft, but his words were sharp. They pierced through the confusing and fearful fog that had settled around Sakura's mind.

"How'd you know?" She whispered, hot tears springing to her eyes.

"Because I used to wake up all the time from those kinds of dreams with my brother in them." He answered gravelly.

Sakura bowed her head. "I told you it was stupid." She murmured. Sasuke turned to face her. "It's not stupid Sakura." He replied, taking her hand.

"YES IT IS!" she suddenly burst out. "I can't control what happens in my dreams either! I can't stop him! I'm defenseless, AGAIN!" Tears had finally worked their way out of her eyes and were streaming down her cheeks.   
"I couldn't save my mother because I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't defend myself because he was ANBU and now that he's in my dreams I can't fight back there either because I'm not strong enough!" She fought so hard not to cry. She was tired of crying, but no matter how much she cried, the pain _never_ went away.

"Sakura."

She looked up. Sasuke grabbed her by her shoulders and pinned her to the ground. "Stop believing that bullshit."

Her eyes widened and she bit her lip to staunch the urge to cry again. Sasuke reached down and wiped her tears away.

"You're one of the strongest people I know." He said quietly. "Any other regular person would be dead already. Gone crazy, or committed suicide. You haven't. You've pulled through, lived through hell and now you're almost free of all of this." He said; his obsidian eyes boring into hers.

Sakura shivered. "You don't know how close to death I am Sasuke-kun…" She whispered.

His eyes narrowed and his grip on her tightened. "I almost _wish_ I was dead. Then he would be happy." He didn't waste a second before his other hand that wasn't holding her wrists above her head clamped over her mouth.

"Don't you dare say that." He growled. "Don't you realize that there are other people here who need you?"

Her lower lip trembled underneath his hand. She shook her head slowly. "I'm not worth it, Sasuke-kun. He told me so…"

"I'm going to kill that fucking bastard for ever making you believe that." Sasuke said darkly. "What do you think Ino, Naruto, Hinata and all your other friends would do if you just let yourself die?" He asked his tone dangerous. Sakura slowly shrugged. "What would Tsunade-sama say?" Sakura's eyes slowly filled with tears again. She turned her head, closing her eyes.

This wasn't helping.

"Some of us wouldn't know what to do if they didn't have you around." He said softly. His hand trailed down her jaw line until he grasped her chin once more, turning her head so that she could face him. He gently let her go, helping her stand up. She looked him in the eyes. He lifted her chin up and spoke.   
"You're Konoha's top medic Nin, second to no one, save for the Godaime herself. But I'm more than positive you'll surpass her soon. You've been my teammate for years, and the center of my thoughts for a while now. Without you, life is just that of a boring shinobi. You're the reason why I wake up in the morning with hope that the day will be good."

Sakura was silent. She literally couldn't speak. Her heart just pounded hard against her ribs. She felt her hands reach up to grasp his. She slowly pulled it away from her chin as she stared deep into his eyes.

A small smile started to tug at the corners of her mouth. Just slightly though. He smirked.

**_DO IT, DO IT, DO IT, DO IT! _** Both Inner Sakura and Sasuke chanted.

Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him to her. His arms went around her waist and their proximity grew closer. "You're worth the entire world Sakura, and more." He said softly.

Their lips met.

It was better than Sakura had ever dreamed. Her petite frame was pulled close to his muscular one. Her fingers ran into his hair, something she'd wanted to do for years. His grip on her tightened slightly as she leaned into his chest. His tongue slid gently over her lower lip, asking. She complied without a second thought. She fought the urge to cry again as he deepened the kiss. Her heart and her head were both on Cloud Nine.

Inner Sakura, of course, was doing back handsprings and screaming.

Inner Sasuke punched both fists in the air, shouting victory.

They both smiled.

When Sasuke and Sakura pulled apart, both were breathing hard.

"T-That was fun." She whispered. He smirked. He easily slipped a foot behind her knees, bringing them both to the ground with him on top. "Really?" He asked a smug look on his face.

She nodded. She smiled cutely as he played with her hair, leaning close again. Her eyes closed as he captured her lips again with his.

**_FUCK YEAH! _**Inner Sakura was screaming. **_That's it! I want to marry this guy!_**

Sakura inwardly cheered herself. _ I can't believe I'm actually KISSING him!_

Her fingers found their way into his hair once more and they trailed down his jaw line until she cupped his face with her hands, holding his chin while she kissed him back.

Sasuke felt himself smiling. _She does really love me…_He thought.

_**Ya know, for being a genius, you really are STUPID. Of COURSE she loves you! **_

_I know now. As soon as she's free I'm going to do it._ He thought his heart leaping. _I'll make her mine for sure._

When they broke apart, Sakura pulled him tightly to her. "Sasuke-kun!" She whispered. She felt him returning her embrace. She leaned her cheek against the side of his head as she drew in a deep breath. She didn't need to have him say a word. All these years she'd been waiting and longing for him to return her feelings and now she had gotten more than enough proof that he did.

She heard his voice in her hear. "Let's go." He said quietly.

"Ok."

---

PUNCH

"Answer me, NOW." Her voice was sharp and dangerous. Had it been an actual weapon, he would have been dead long ago. But that was the thing about words. They could hurt, but never kill.

"I don't need to say shit to you old woman." He fired back. This earned him a nice bone-crushing punch to the face. He reeled back, his head flying sideways and his body following suit as he slammed into the wall.

Tsunade bent over him. "Tell me, how a fully grown man could ever even _think_ of taking advantage of his EIGHTEEN year old daughter?" She shouted. He smirked. "I didn't have to think. She belongs to me." He replied smugly.

"My apprentice is a _person,_ NOT a piece of _property!"_ Tsunade snapped vehemently.

SLAP

She backhanded him so hard that he fell over, smacking his already bleeding head on the wall again. He made the mistake of wincing.

"You deserve every bit of the pain that you're feeling right now. You should know that. You're actually damn lucky that—"

"Blah, blah blah…I don't want to hear it anymore. Just ban me to another village already."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Oh there's no way I'll put them through the punishment of having to put up with you as a civilian in their village. Your shinobi rights have been stripped. You try _anything_ and I have the right to kill you on the spot. Do you understand?" She said, her voice a deadly calm.

"Pfft, like I give a shit."

He entered the prison, adorned in his ANBU uniform. The wooden mask covered his face completely. The only thing that identified him as a recognizable person was his hair that poked out from the back. The loud shouting grew louder as he approached a certain cell.

The ANBU guarding the door stopped him from entering.

He moved his mask to the side, revealing his face. "Captain." The ANBU guard acknowledged respectfully. "Tsunade-sama? Uchiha-san has arrived." The guard called through the door.

It opened two seconds later, revealing a red-faced and angry looking Godaime. Her eyes shot over to the new arrival, her almond eyes narrowing on him.

Sasuke removed his mask completely. His face was set in a grim expression and his mouth formed a thin line. "I have the information you requested." He said. One look at his face and you could automatically tell that he didn't like what he was doing. He grudgingly held a scroll out for her to take. Her eyes narrowed on his face before turning to his gloved hand holding the scroll.

"There's more." He continued. "It's sitting on your desk back in your office. I'll take over from here so you may go survey the evidence more closely." He put emphasis on his words, letting Tsunade know that what he'd gathered was important. She could also see something else in his eyes as well, but it was only a glint, disappearing before she got a second glance.

She nodded. "As you wish." She said, pretending to be as cheerful as she could. It was pure sarcasm, he knew. She moved past him, her head jerking back to face the cell's occupant. "See what you can get out of him Uchiha. I'll survey the evidence and I will be back." Tsunade glared at Tetsuki before looking back at Sasuke. "Until then, he's all yours." A sadistic smile spread across her face as she exited the cell.

Sasuke turned his attention back to the man who had hurt Sakura. The man was bloodied up but he sat against the wall, his head bowed and his left arm propped up on one of his raised up knees. "Heh heh heh. How's my little girl doing?" He asked, his sick smile never leaving his face. Sasuke didn't say anything. He was having trouble composing words at the moment because of the extreme amount of anger he'd pent up towards this man.

"Why…" He finally spoke. "Why fuck do you want to know?"

Haruno Tetsuki turned his twisted gaze up to look at Sasuke. "She's not forgotten, has she? It's still there. I still have control over her, even in this pathetic prison of yours."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Anger boiled his blood and he lost it. His kick was strong and powerful as his foot collided with Tetsuki's head.

_FLASHBACK_

"_I can't control what happens in my dreams either! I can't stop him! I'm defenseless, AGAIN!" Tears had finally worked their way out of her eyes and were streaming down her cheeks. "I couldn't save my mother because I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't defend myself because he was ANBU and now that he's in my dreams I can't fight back there either because I'm not strong enough!" _

_END FLASHBACK_

Sakura's tortured words filled his mind and it drove Sasuke into action. "Do you even understand what the fuck you're saying!" He shouted, yanking Tetsuki up by his collar. "You ignorant fucking sick bastard!" He slammed Tetsuki to the wall, holding him up by his throat. "You were held in high opinions by the people of this village! Sakura has done NOTHING to merit the way that you treated her!"

"You're wrong…" Tetsuki growled.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and his grip on Tetsuki's throat increased. "You have some nerve, blaming your wife's death on Sakura. Has it _ever_ crossed your mind that if YOU had been stronger, your wife wouldn't have sustained the injuries that she did because you would have been stronger and more capable of protecting her?" Sasuke's words cut deep, and Tetsuki was at a loss for words.

A nice hard punch from Sasuke's fist to his stomach brought Tetsuki to his senses. "Your poor decisions are going to cost you everything…" Sasuke said icily.

"I'm taking Sakura away from you, forever."

He watched as Tetsuki slumped over against the wall, eyes staring off into space, before exiting and heading back to Hokage Tower.

…

Tsunade entered her office, the scroll Sasuke had delivered to her with his report clutched tightly in her hand. Her brown eyes fell upon the large bag resting on her desk. A note was secured to the string holding the bag closed.

It appeared to be a large bag of garbage…

She pulled the note off and sat exhaustedly down in her chair. Opening the folded paper, she read:

_Tsunade-sama,_

_Here is some physical evidence that I thought that you would find important. Without knowing, Sakura was the one who gathered this. I have her to thank for compiling it. Haruno Tetsuki relied heavily on alcohol, as you may probably see the broken sake bottles poking through the bag. Also, her father was a drug user. This may explain his irrational behavior at the time of initial capture, and also hinting at why his eyes were bloodshot. _

_I hope this proves to be useful._

_Uchiha Sasuke_

Her eyes narrowed as they traveled from the note to the bag. Tsunade stood, ripping the string off of the bag. She glared as she saw the many broken sake bottles inside. She recognized red on the end of one of the jagged edges and her blood boiled with anger. She was about to storm back to the prison when an odd, repulsive odor caught her attention. She pulled the brown bag from the trash bag and studied it before opening it. Inside were the drugs Sasuke had mentioned.

"Oh Haruno, this is going to cost you big time." She growled.

She'd summoned the other council members to her office for a meeting later on that day, so she carefully set the bag aside for it to be used as a topic of their discussion before Tetsuki's trial in the morning. Tsunade was being pushed further and further away from letting him off from a strict sentence.

She had a message ready to be sent to the Uchiha Mansion, summoning her apprentice. It was still morning, nearing mid-morning, but she needed to speak with her. She would just have the next available person take it there.

…

A knock sounded on her door.

Sakura groaned, rolling over and pulling the pillow over her head. "Go away…" she grumbled.

She was tired. After a night like last night, she wanted to slip away into the clouds and dream pleasantly about him…

"Sakura?" A voice called.

When she didn't immediately reply, the door creaked open. Sakura rolled over, looking up at the one who had woken her.

Sasuke leaned over her, his arms supporting him on either side of her body. "Time to get up lazy." He said, smirking. Sakura smiled shyly up at him. "Aww, and I had just gotten to a really good part in my dream…" Her voice carried off.

He smirked, leaning forward and capturing her lips with his. "You can finish it later." He said once they broke apart. He'd started to get up, but Sakura pulled him against her. "Ohayo." She whispered. He smiled and returned her embrace. "Ohayo." He said quietly. He just held her for a moment before he helped her up. That was when Sakura realized he'd been in uniform. "Sasuke-kun, what's—?" She was cut off as he rested a finger on her lips, silencing her. "Tsunade-sama sent me to get you. She needs to speak with you."

Sakura's eyes were wide, but she nodded, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

Twenty minutes later Sakura stood in front of her sensei's desk. Her head was bowed and her hands were folded in front of her.

"You wanted to see me Tsunade-sama?" She asked quietly. She couldn't look her sensei in the eyes anymore. Not since she discovered what had been happening. Sakura felt ashamed for lying to her, knowing that Tsunade could see through her plain as day.

When Tsunade didn't say anything, Sakura looked up, only to see her sensei standing in front of her. With one look at her apprentice's face, she grabbed her and pulled her tightly to her in a fierce embrace.

Sakura was shocked. This was the very _last_ reaction she expected to receive from her sensei. "Sakura, why on earth didn't you tell me?" Tsunade asked, pulling away and looking Sakura in the eyes. She didn't reply immediately, but bit her lip, unsure of what to say.

Tsunade pulled a stray strand of pink from her eyes, tucking it behind her ear in a motherly fashion. "I could have taken you away from that bastard a long time ago."

Sakura's jade eyes filled with tears. She fell to her knees, crying.

"I'm so sorry!" She cried. She felt her sensei kneel beside her, taking her into a hug. "Shh, Sakura, its ok." She said gently. She rubbed her back soothingly. "Truth be told, I'm glad Uchiha came to me about you. He was the one responsible for demanding your father's arrest." Sakura looked up, her eyes widening through her tears. "H-he was?"

Tsunade smiled warmly down at her.

"Yes." She answered, lifting her chin so Sakura couldn't hide her face again. "I do not blame you for lying. I understand the threat you were under. Believe me; I've spoken at length with your best friend, your teammates, and Kakashi. Everyone agreed that something was not right with your father. I could see it in your eyes, Sakura. You came to training every morning looking like death itself."

Sakura flinched. She'd done her best every morning to cover up the bruises and other marks, but her one folly: not making sure she'd erased the pain from her eyes.

"You're a strong kunoichi, Sakura. I'm sorry that son of a bitch hurt you. I should have known something was off when he tried to pin your mother's death on your shoulders. Nothing you did ever merited the way that he treated you. I hope that you know that."

Sakura didn't say anything. After nearly four years of hearing that it was her fault that her mother died, she couldn't help but start believing it. "Sasuke immediately came to me, asking if he could get you out. I revealed my suspicions to him about your father, and said that he had to have sufficient evidence that your father was hurting you. He just nodded, taking a small team of ANBU with him to your house. I'm glad that they found you in time." Sakura was still speechless.

_Sasuke-kun really did all that?_ She thought, her mind having trouble getting used to the information. _I-I never would have known…_

**_Pfft, DUH! You literally ignored the boy ever since he returned to Konoha! What, did you think he would just ignore you all the time?_**

_Umm, let's see… yes, because that's all he did before he left?_

_**He's changed smart ass. Accept it. **_

…

_**HA. I win.**_

"Sakura. I want you to show and identify everything in this bag to me. I want to make sure I have a strong enough case to bring before the village elders so that your bastard father gets the punishment he deserves." Tsunade gestured to the large garbage bag resting next to her desk. Sakura's eyes widened as she recognized it as the one she'd filled the day before.

Sakura nodded slightly. Her mind wasn't there, however. Her thoughts were centered strictly on one person: Sasuke.

---

The next day came, with a heavy pressure on everyone's hearts.

It was the day that Haruno Tetsuki was to be tried and possibly sentenced to death.

Sakura woke, staring at the ceiling. Her heart was heavy and tears were in her eyes. She'd come to fear this day. But somewhere in the back of her mind, she _wanted_ to see her father suffer. Groaning, she sat up, rolling her tired body out of bed. She slumped into the bathroom, looking in the mirror. There were dark circles under her eyes. "Great, I even _look_ how I feel." She muttered, turning on the cold tap and letting the icy water run into the sink. She cupped her hands, filling them with the frigid water and splashed it on her face. The chill woke her up completely, and she splashed her face one more time, just to make sure she was awake. She dressed quickly, and emerged from her room.

"Ohayo." A voice said to her left.

Sakura's eyes jerked sharply in the direction of the voice. They fell upon Sasuke, who was dressed in almost all black. He wore a black, wide collared shirt with the Uchiha crest on the back. His pants were black and slightly baggy. The only thing that _wasn't_ black was his Konoha forehead protector. Sakura smiled slightly when she saw him.

"Ohayo." She said in a small voice. She turned and walked down the stairs, Sasuke close behind her. After pulling his sandals on, Sasuke waited by the door as she slipped her shoes on as well, sliding her guards on too.

That's when he noticed that she was trembling. He knelt in front of her, lifting her chin so he could look her in the eyes. "I-I'm scared Sasuke-kun. I don't want to see him again." She whispered. He pulled her against him, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Sakura, it's going to be all right. He's under the tightest security we've got. There's no way he can get out." Sakura nodded slightly. She closed her eyes as the sun came through the window, casting its warm rays on her face.

_I will protect you Sakura, I promise._ Sasuke thought to himself. "C'mon, let's get going. The sooner this is over for you the better, believe me." She nodded. They walked out together and down the street, heading towards Hokage Tower.

A long agonizing silence had blanketed the Hokage's office. Naruto was already there, standing rigidly against the wall, arms crossed over his chest and a deep frown on his face. His face lit up though when he saw Sasuke and Sakura enter. "Sakura-chan! Sasuke-teme." He said, coming up to them. "Kakashi-sensei is late, but Tsunade-no baachan said that everyone should be here within the hour." Sasuke nodded, leading Sakura to one of the many chairs spread out in rows in a half semi-circle in Tsunade's office.

Team 7 waited. Naruto fidgeted in his seat, playing with a kunai, twirling it around on a finger. Sakura also squirmed in her seat, though for different reasons than her blonde teammate. She sat in between the boys, hands clenched together anxiously. Her green eyes watched the door nervously, as if it would burst open at any second, revealing her horrible monster that haunted her dreams at night. Sasuke sat on her other side, his onyx eyes looking over at her every so often, watching her nervous expression.

A sharp, silence shattering noise brought all of their attentions to the door. Tsunade stood in the doorway, her head bowed and a deep frown on her face.

"Sakura." She said, not looking up.

Sakura looked at her sensei, her eyes wide. "Hai?" She asked softly. "The council has decreed that this will be a private trial, and shall take place downstairs in the ANBU Torture and Interrogation room…however," Tsunade paused, noting the relieved look on her teammate's faces.

"The elders have also said that you are to attend to stand as a sole witness because you are the survivor." Sasuke opened his mouth to say something, but Tsunade chose that moment to enter the room, walking towards the threesome. She gently took Sakura by her arm. "I'll walk with you." She said shortly. Naruto didn't like this one bit. Nope, not one bit at all.

"TSUNADE NO BAA-CHAN!" He yelled, earning him a punch in the head by Tsunade's fist.

"Itai!" He screamed, clutching his head.

"There's nothing you guys can do. Hell, even _I_ can't say anything. The elders have agreed and their votes were unanimous, so it's out of my hands." She turned to lead Sakura out of the room and stopped as she realized that the doorway was blocked.

"I won't let her go alone." A certain stubborn Uchiha said, arms crossed defiantly over his chest. His obsidian glare locked with Tsunade's stern gaze. It was at least a good five minutes before anything was said at all. Tsunade sighed heavily, her hands resting on her hips and she fixed Sasuke with a scrutinizing glare. "The council still hasn't completely forgiven you yet." She said after a long moment. "This may cost you a few missions."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He said. His gaze traveled to Sakura who stood by her sensei's side; the left side of her lower lip between her teeth and a worried look on her face. She was staring pointedly at a certain spot on the floor.

Naruto's eyes had widened. "Ne, Sasuke-teme! What are you going to do?"

"You'll find out dobe."

Tsunade sighed. "You people just won't listen, will you!" She nearly screamed. Sasuke smirked. "When have we ever?"

A foreign sound came from Tsunade's right. Sasuke and Naruto turned to look at Sakura, who surprisingly had a ghost of a smile on her face.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, did you just _laugh_?" Naruto asked his blue eyes wide with wonder.

"G-gomen." She whispered. "W-we just sound like a t-team again." Naruto's eyes filled with the smile that spread across his face. It lit up the whole room. "SAKURA-CHAN!" He said, racing forth and catching her in a tight hug. She winced.

SMACK.

"Dobe." Sasuke growled, prying Naruto's hands off of her. Once she was free, he took her by her hand and led her from the room. Naruto had plopped on the floor, his face scrunched up in a pout and his lower lip sticking out. "SASUKE-TEME!" he screeched.

Tsunade smirked. _Seems you've changed for the better Uchiha…_

Sakura's confidence took a sudden leap. "Don't worry. Nothing will happen, I promise." Sasuke's voice said in her ear. She swallowed hard. "Okay…" She said softly. Her thoughts went immediately to her mother and also to the hidden item she'd brought with her.

Sasuke gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "The sooner this is all over, the better." He said. She nodded.

_I'm glad Sasuke-kun will be there. I don't know how I'm going to react around my father._

**_GIRL! You are gonna be strong! Let that stupid fucktard know that you don't need him! Besides…_** Inner Sakura said smugly, **_Sasuke-kun will be there with us…_**

_I know! I can do this! I have to prove that I'm strong now!_

_**Thatta girl!**_

Sakura smiled slightly to herself. She quickly looked up at Sasuke walking beside her. His jaw was set and his lips were set in a grim line. His eyes were narrowed and glaring at the large building they were approaching.

_When this is all over, I'll tell him. _She thought to herself. She squeezed his hand back and he turned his gaze down to her. His heart jolted when he saw her smile slightly. "Let's get this over with." She whispered. He nodded and they both entered the ANBU T&I building.

The guards greeted them gravelly, most all the ANBU saluting respectfully to their out-of-uniform captain. Sasuke merely returned their salutes and focused his attention on the room ahead. He pushed the door open, to find several people lining the walls.

A flash of blonde to their left told them that Naruto was already there. Tsunade and Kakashi standing nearby. Sasuke entered his grip on Sakura's hand loosening as he allowed her to enter first. The council member's eyes narrowed on him, but they remained ever silent. As soon as Sakura was standing next to Tsunade, Sasuke took his place next to her.

Tsunade cleared her throat and stepped forward.

"Now that everyone who is required is present, Haruno Tetsuki's trial will commence." She said her voice sharp.

The doors to the room burst open, three ANBU Nin entered. Two held a man by his arms, literally almost dragging him in while the third walked crisply in front of them.

"Hokage-sama." He said, bowing respectfully. "We have brought the prisoner." She nodded, her eyes narrowing dangerously on the man at her feet.

Sasuke felt Sakura stiffen beside him. He reached behind her, not letting anyone else see, and wrapped his arm around her. She calmed almost instantly. She didn't need him to say anything, the gesture was enough. _It's ok._

Tsunade had Tetsuki dragged to the center of the room, where he was immediately shoved to his knees before the council members, his back to everyone else. She sat down at the center of the table with the elders, next to the lead elder.

"Haruno Tetsuki." The lead elder spoke. "You know why you have been brought here, correct?"

"Hai." He responded. There was something different about him. His voice did not sound arrogant, but more like remorseful. Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "You understand the charges you are facing as well?" She asked, picking a scroll up from the table in front of her, opening it, and reading aloud.

"Child Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Attempted Manslaughter." Tsunade paused ever-so-slightly between each charge, saying each one with such fervor so that Tetsuki would cringe. It worked too. She cleared her throat, allowing the information to sink in. "That also is being topped with your abuse in power with your position. You were held in Konoha's highest respect, but you lowered yourself to this level. Something like that destroys morale, and you truly have brought shame upon this village with your actions."

Tetsuki's eyes dropped to the floor, nodding slightly.

"This also means your sentence will be more extreme." Tsunade continued. "We have been given sufficient evidence of your usage of narcotics and alcohol. These influences, especially _any_ usage of narcotics, are highly illegal in this village. You of all people should know this."

Tetsuki nodded again. He didn't utter a single word.

"Now. There were numerous accounts of abuse on young Haruno Sakura. Don't even pause to think that this will be taken lightly. Your actions almost killed her more than just a few times." Tsunade continued her voice hard and cold. "Your crime is by far one of the most despicable, but also one that has never been heard of in all of the history of Konoha." She bit out. "Since Sakura has advanced to the Jounin level, you actions against her were those against a fellow shinobi. This is a direct offense, as they were not just against a shinobi of Konoha, but also of a respected representative of this village as well. In acting irrationally against her, you have acted irrationally against this village. This is a serious crime."

"The severity of your punishment will be left up to the council and…" Tsunade paused, shooting a certain person in the back a look. Sakura flinched.

"Your daughter."

Tetsuki's eyes widened. He followed Tsunade's gaze and saw his daughter standing beside her sensei Kakashi and…Uchiha Sasuke. His eyes narrowed dangerously on the young man, still not forgetting what was said in the prison cell.

"We will have a short recess, in which the sentence shall be made. Uchiha, please escort Sakura out with us."

Sasuke gave a short nod.

Sakura was completely speechless. She watched with wide green eyes as her father was kicked hard in the back to get moving before he was dragged out savagely.

Sasuke walked with her to a small room just next to the main chamber they all had been in before.

"Sasuke, thank you. But you must now wait outside." Tsunade said, patting him on the shoulder. His eyes narrowed but he nodded. He shot a glance in Sakura's direction before exiting the room.

Sakura drew a deep breath. "How you doing kid?" Tsunade whispered in her ear. Sakura nodded slightly. "I'm ok." She whispered, trying her best to sound strong. Tsunade gave her shoulder a supportive squeeze before the rest of the council members entered a moment later.

"Haruno sakura, you will have some input on what happens to your father, but ultimately, the decision will be up to us. Do you understand?" The head elder asked sternly.

"Yes sir." She said softly.

The head elder's stern look softened. "Please be seated." He said, gesturing to the chairs around the table at the center of the room. Sakura pulled her chair out, sinking gratefully into it, glad to have something supporting her because she was more than positive her knees would give out on her.

"You are almost 19 years old. Barely old enough to be on your own, but still you have achieved the rank of Jounin. You have become a highly respected kunoichi of this village. The crimes committed against you were inhuman and despicable. It is only right that you get justice served to you."

"Yes sir." Sakura whispered. Her eyes had found a particular interest in the table.

"I say we eliminate him."

"I propose eternal banishment to the rice fields."

"No, that's too lenient. I'm with the first proposal."

Sakura's eyes widened at the elders as they discussed possible sentences. Her widened eyes looked up at her sensei. Tsunade's face was set into a frown. Sakura had seen this look on her face numerous times during her sensei's time serving as Hokage.

"I agree with the first proposal. It is the only logical one." Tsunade spoke up after letting the elders bicker amongst themselves for a while.

The room went silent.

"Well, please explain your decision." The lead elder said, resting his elbows on the table, his hands crossed and his chin resting atop of his hands.

Tsunade took a deep breath. "It is as you said." She began. "Haruno Tetsuki committed a high crime. Destruction of morale and life. He did it without the slightest hint of remorse, leaving nothing but pain and betrayal in his wake. I want this man dead and gone from my village. He is a disgrace to Konoha as well as to the people who he has hurt."

Her almond gaze turned sharply to look her apprentice in the eyes.

Sakura was forever silent.

"Have you anything to say, young kunoichi?" One of the elders asked, keeping her voice soft.

Sakura shook her head. "I only wish for his sentence to be just." She said quietly. _That's my apprentice for you…_Tsunade thought silently. _Never once thinking of herself._

"It is decided then."

…

Sasuke looked up from staring coldly at the floor when he heard the door to the room where Sakura was open. He saw her walk out as if she'd seen a ghost.

He was at her side instantly.

"What's going on?" He asked in a low voice, his hand gripping her arm gently as he steadied her on her feet.

"They're sentencing him to death." She whispered.

Sasuke gripped her arm tighter. "When?" he asked. Sakura shrugged. "I don't know." Sasuke could see tears starting to well up in her eyes. He pulled her away from the other elders who were emerging from the small conference-like room. Sakura allowed him to lead her down the hall and once they were far enough out of earshot she burst into tears.

"I don't know if this is the right thing to do!" She cried. She felt herself being taken into a hug. "He needs to serve justice, Sakura." Sasuke said softly. "You heard what Tsunade said. He's committed a crime against Konoha."

"But I already told you that I'm not that important!" She wailed. "I'm not sure this is what my mother would have wanted either!" Sasuke's grip on her intensified as he quickly spun her around to face him.

"And so what, he just is allowed to walk scot-free? That's not how things are done here Sakura." Sasuke said venomously. Sakura flinched as he backed her up against the wall. "What do you mean you're not that important?" He continued, his hand slipping beneath her chin and lifting it so he could stare into her eyes.

She shivered. "I'm not worth someone losing their life for."

"How's that?" he asked, moving closer. Sakura's lower lip trembled. "He's going to be killed in cold blood. That's not right."

"He almost killed you in cold blood. In fact, he almost physically broke you. How can you say that doesn't deserve justice?" Sakura shrugged. "What would you do if it was your Tousa?" She whispered almost inaudibly. Because of their close proximity, however, her soft words reached his ears.

"I would have killed him already myself." He responded, closing the rest of the distance between them and pulling her into a hug again. "Just trust in what the village elders and Tsunade-sama have decided, alright?" Sakura nodded, surrendering to the safe comfort of his embrace.

"Your mother wouldn't have wanted him to deal with her loss like this…" Sasuke's voice trailed off as he held her. "Losing her daughter because her bastard husband didn't know how to deal with his grief? That's crazy Sakura. You of all people should know that there are other ways of dealing with grief. He almost killed you dammit!"

Sakura flinched.

"You didn't deserve to go through that!" Sasuke's voice became murderous. "If it wasn't already for the council's decision, I would have killed him myself." He said in a deadly calm voice. Sasuke stopped when he realized that Sakura really wasn't paying attention anymore. Her shoulders shook as she finally started to cry. Inwardly he kicked himself for nearly losing his grip on his control. He held her close again, running his fingers through her hair.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly.

Sakura merely shook her head. "N-No, I-I unders-stand." She said, breathing deeply and wiping her tears away. "I-I don't w-want to go back in th-there."  
Sasuke's grip on her tightened. "You won't have to for long." He said in a low voice.

The clearing of someone's throat brought both of their attentions to Tsunade, who had come to stand 10 feet away.

"The recess has ended." She said in a serious tone. Sasuke let Sakura go. "C'mon." He said quietly, taking her hand into his. Inwardly, Tsunade smiled.

Sakura's eyes dropped to the floor the minute she entered the main chamber again. Her father's gaze bore into her and she flinched.

"I hope that you're happy _Sakura_." He growled, taking a step closer to her. In a split second, Sasuke had shot in between them, shielding Sakura from him. Tetsuki smirked as he was immediately restrained.

"Heh. Protecting a weakling like her. I did not know you would stoop that low Uchiha." Sasuke snarled the Sharingan bleeding into his eyes. He pulled his fist back to punch Tetsuki in the face, but was stopped. Sakura had grabbed onto his arm, holding him back. His gaze shot back and down to her. Her eyes were wide but fear was evident in them. He realized that he'd nearly lost it again, and he relaxed his arm, allowing the Sharingan to disappear. Red soon dissolved to onyx as he turned around to face her. "I'm not the one who has stooped low." He growled.

"STOP!" A loud voice shouted.

Everyone in the room froze. Tsunade stood in the doorway, her eyes full of anger and flaring. Sakura flinched. She'd never seen her sensei this angry before.

"Haruno Tetsuki, you are already against all graces in this room. I have half a mind to carry out your sentence right now in front of everyone!" Sakura flinched noticeably. Sasuke noticed this and he pulled her away from her father to the safety of the back with her team. Sakura felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Kakashi staring down at her, a worried expression on his hidden face.

"Ne, Tsunade will kill that fucking bastard!" Naruto declared, punching his left fist into his hand. Sakura wasn't listening. She watched as her father was held in place by two ANBU Nin, his hands secured back to back to ensure he couldn't perform any jutsus.

"The council and I have decided upon your fate, Haruno Tetsuki. You have proved to be a valiant threat to this village if you were to escape confinement. You also have committed too high of crimes to just be banished or sentenced to a life as a farmer. As of tomorrow, your life will cease to exist. Your execution will mark the very first in this village."

Haruno Tetsuki's jaw dropped. His eyes widened with fear and he opened his mouth to speak. "Hokage-sama, I beg you to reconsider." He said, his voice starting to sound panicked.

"_Reconsider?"_ Tsunade said standing and glaring down at him. "Are you too afraid to face the fate that you deserve?"

"I've seen the error of my ways!" He screamed desperately. He turned around to face his daughter. "I'm so sorry Sakura! Please, forgive me for everything! You know I really love you! I'm your father!"

"How _dare_ you speak to her teme?" Naruto said, stepping forth. Sasuke watched him in amazement as his teammate's hand glowed with orange chakra.

_Kyuubi_. The Uchiha genius thought to himself. "Sasuke, get Sakura-chan out of here." Naruto growled. He pulled his fist back, and slammed it into Tetsuki's face. The village elders made no move to stop him. Tsunade could only watch with complete bewilderment for a moment before she came around the table and physically pulled Naruto away. "Naruto, he will serve his sentence tomorrow. There is nothing that can be changed." She said, glaring angrily in Tetsuki's direction. She looked over at Kakashi, who had come forth.

"You made the mistake of underestimating and hurting one of my students. Your death will be without honor, as you have stripped yourself of any right for it!" He glared venomously at Sakura's father before grabbing Naruto's shoulder.

"Let's go Naruto." He said, pulling the young shinobi along. Naruto caved, having been scolded mildly by both his sensei and the Hokage herself, he backed down.

Sasuke had pulled Sakura with him the second Naruto had said to get her out. His hand covered her eyes as Naruto stalked forward, preparing his worst for the man. Sakura had melted against his chest, the tears threatening to come again.

As soon as they were outside, Sakura's knees gave out on her and she dropped to the ground. A huge mess of feelings had taken over. Relief, pain, grief, sadness, fear, guilt and something else that she couldn't quite pinpoint. Sasuke was next to her instantly. "Sakura!" he said, his arm wrapping around her shoulder as she started to cry. He pulled her against him, not caring at all at his subordinates guarding the entrance watching him with wonder.

"It's ok." He whispered in her ear. She buried her face in his chest, pulling him by his shirt closer. He allowed it. "S-Sasuke-kun, wh-what's going to ha-happen now?" She cried. "I-I can't forgive him! He asked me to forgive him!" Soon, her sadness burned into extreme anger.

"I HATE HIM!"

Sasuke actually allowed himself to smirk. This was something he could handle.

"You can hate him as much as you need to Sakura." He said softly, wiping her tears away. "You have a just reason to hate him." Sakura looked up into his eyes. Her respect for her teammate raised another few hundred notches then.  
"I know exactly how you feel." He said, brushing her hair from her eyes. "But he'll be facing what he deserves tomorrow—"

"I want to watch him die."

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow at her. _This isn't the bubbly kind hearted Sakura I knew…_ He thought to himself. This new Sakura was hateful, angry, torn apart, and most of all, becoming sadistic. Too much like his older brother for his liking.

"I don't know if that's—"

"I don't care; I have to see him die. It's the only way I'll ever know that he won't come after me again…" Her words trailed off, but Sasuke knew exactly what she meant.

"I'll talk to Tsunade." He said in a low voice.

**A/N: Well, here ends another chapter! I'll be working on chapter seven. I really want to get this whole situation with her father wrapped up and done with. Sakura has changed, ne? You'll see what happens in the next chapter. This story has a happy ending guys, don't worry! **

**Thanks for reading!**

**Uchiha Sakura **


	7. Part 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, cuz IF I did; I wouldn't have to post these stupid remarks before starting up another new chapter…xD

OMFG…This story has been up for hardly three weeks and it already has over 100 reviews!

THANK YOU SO MUCH READERS who have been reviewing!

I seriously appreciate all your comments and constructive criticism. It seriously has helped me in writing and has boosted my confidence greatly.

Anyway, here's chapter seven!

**The Strength of the Heart**

**Part 7**

The door to the huge garden slid open almost silently. Bare feet padded on the wooden walkway that led to the garden, but paused as soon as the owner of the feet saw the person sought.

Her hair blew around her face with the wind, sunlight reflecting off of the light strands. Her porcelain skin glistened with fresh tears that would remain silent to everyone except herself. She looked angelic.

But deep down inside, there was something vaguely and painfully familiar to the onlooker. It was a heart that burned with fiery pain of anger and hatred.

Sasuke shivered involuntarily. No pure heart like Sakura's should have that plaguing them. He watched as she stood up from her crouched position in the flowerbed, tending to the newly planted bulbs that would come up in spring.

Daffodils.

Amazement filled his mind as he watched her gently and tenderly finish planting. Such care was put into it; almost unreal in a way, for the way she had been treated, one would never even guess that she could know how to act so loving…

But Sasuke did.

_FLASHBACK_

_Tsunade sank into her chair, her chin resting in her hand. "She wants to do WHAT?" She asked incredulously upon hearing Sasuke's request. "She asked if she could be present at her father's execution." Sasuke repeated, raising an eyebrow at the Hokage, briefly wondering if she was drunk or buzzed past the point of regular comprehension. _

"_I can't allow it." She said after a moment. "Sakura is too fragile right now. I'm afraid even the littlest thing will make her snap—"_

"_Don't doubt her so much." Sasuke interjected. "She's gotten a hell of a lot stronger."_

_Tsunade inwardly smirked. 'So, he thinks he knows her better than I do?' she thought. "Fine, but I will leave it up to you to decide whether or not she should attend. Since you seem to know her so well." Tsunade added, watching the young shinobi's reaction. _

_Sasuke merely nodded, however, and exited her office._

_END FLASHBACK_

He watched as she stood up, brushing dirt from her knees and hands. Sakura turned her head to stare in his direction. "I'm ready whenever you are Sasuke-kun." She said, picking up her scoop and walking back towards the house.

"Sakura."

Pausing mid-step, she turned to face him. "Look, I know you've expressed your concerns to me about this. But why won't you believe me when I tell you that I'll be okay?"

At that moment, Sasuke chose to let loose his anger. He pulled her close to him by her shoulders and stared her in the eyes. "Because I know that this won't make you happy!" He shouted. Sakura's eyes widened fearfully. "You're starting to act just like Itachi did! That's the very _last_ thing I want for you!"

He noticed her shocked and fearful look as he slowly drew in a deep breath. His eyes widened slightly as he realized what he had just done. He let go quickly, dropping his gaze from her face.

"I'm sorry!" She whispered, her eyes suddenly squeezed shut. Her breathing came in ragged gasps as she fought hard not to cry. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" She felt her knees give out on her and she slowly started to sink to the ground, had it not been for Sasuke who reached out instinctively and grabbed her shoulders again.

"No." He said, pulling her close again. "It's me that should be sorry. I-I didn't mean to hurt you Sakura." He said softly. At that moment all that could be seen by him was a blur of pink as Sakura threw herself forward and into his arms. He instantly wrapped his arms around her protectively. _This _was where she belonged.

A long moment passed. Sakura sniffed softly and he just held her, never letting go.

"I didn't mean to upset you." She said softly breaking the silence, her voice slightly muffled by his chest. He pulled her closer to him by wrapping an arm around her neck and shoulders while he buried his face in her hair. His other arm stayed firmly wrapped around her waist.   
"I promise I will never do that again." He said quietly. He could feel her take a deep breath, as if forcing herself to get a grip. He felt her nod. Never before in her entire life did Sakura ever feel so _vulnerable_, but at the same time so _safe._

"Do you really want to do this?" He asked softly in her ear. "You don't have to face him you know." Sakura turned her head to look up at him. His gaze was intense and overpowering. _He really doesn't want to see me hurt anymore, does he? _ She thought silently. A sudden wave of emotion overtook her, but she kept herself in line. _This only makes me love him all the more._

"I just want to see it end, nothing more." She replied quietly. He nodded, gently turning them both around. "We'd better go." He said, his voice sounding like it usually did: stoic.

Sakura merely nodded.

---

"Haruno Tetsuki." Tsunade's voice was sharp, stern. The blonde-haired man looked up at her. His gaze was unreadable. "Hai, Hokage-sama?" He asked, his voice barely containing his control on his fear and most of all, anger.

"Are you prepared to face your punishment for your heinous crime?"

Tetsuki's eyes scanned the large room. It was where he had been tried the day before. A mat lay at the center of the room, four shinobi posted at each end…

The burial cloth.

He shivered involuntarily as his eyes came back to meet Tsunade's. "I have just but one request, Tsunade-sama." He said in a low voice.

He could nearly fell her anger radiating off of her in waves. He was the reason why her apprentice was in pain. Kami-sama knew if she would ever be whole again. "What is it, Haruno?" Tsunade snapped.

"Please allow me five minutes alone with my only daughter."

Sakura gasped in fright from the back of the room. Naruto gripped her hand tightly in his, his normally cheerful blue eyes narrowing dangerously on the convicted criminal in front of him.

"Tsunade-no baa-chan…" Naruto began, his voice sounding murderous.

"Five minutes." Tsunade's cold voice cut through whatever statement Naruto was about to make.

Sasuke's grip around Sakura's waist only intensified as Naruto trudged out into the hallway.

"Uchiha, let's go." Tsunade said, coming forth. She handed Sakura a kunai. "It is infused with my chakra. Any wrong move made by him and I full authorize you…no, I outright order you to use it." She corrected, whispering this in Sakura's ear. "Be safe." She said before nearly prying a very pissed off Sasuke away from her.

The door shut with a snap.

"Sakura."   
Sakura froze at the sound of her name rolling off of her father's tongue. "Come closer. There's something I need to tell you."

Sakura clutched the kunai steadfastly tight in her grasp as she approached him. He was on his knees, his hands resting at his sides. The minute she face him, however, was when she truly felt something go wrong. Her heart jumped into her throat as she felt him jump her. Pinning her to the ground, he spoke in a deadly calm voice. "You should never have been so trusting you little brat." He growled. Sakura opened her mouth to scream in horror when his fist collided with her face.

"SASUKE-KUN!" Sakura shrieked.

Just then, her two teammates burst through the door. Sasuke's eyes were swirled into the Sharingan and he had a furious look on his face. Naruto, however, was a different story altogether.

Orange chakra leaked out of his hands, soon surrounding his entire body. "You. Fucking. BASTARD!" He yelled, throwing himself at Tetsuki. He tackled the man to the floor, and began punching the shit out of him. Sasuke on the other hand, raced to Sakura's side, checking her over instantly for injuries. When he saw that she was basically unharmed, he scooped her up off of the floor. Tsunade was back in an instant, her anger flaring up and her eyes narrowing on the sight before her.

Naruto couldn't stop. She watched in utter amazement as he used almost inhuman speed to attack Tetsuki from all sides. Over and over and over again, she soon feared the man would drop dead…but that was to be his fate anyway. Tsunade gathered her chakra to her right hand, forming a powerful jutsu similar to Neji's, only stronger. The minute her fist touched his chest, an electric shock would be pulsed through his entire body, torturing his nervous system and eventually stopping his heart.

"Naruto, stop. Sakura is safe now."

But the blonde shinobi didn't listen. Instead, he turned on her, his bloody gaze searching for his prey, which had scampered to the slight safety behind the Hokage.   
Five chakra tails were writhing about from behind Naruto.

"NO!" Sakura screamed. "Naruto! Stop it! Don't let Kyuubi out!" Naruto's, or Kyuubi's gaze shot to her instantly, and he grinned maliciously.

"_Give the kunoichi to me, Uchiha."_ It spoke in a sickening voice. Sasuke's red eyes narrowed. "Tsunade-sama, what the hell happened to him?" He asked, his grip on Sakura tightening. "He's going to be overtaken by the Ninetails." She murmured, her voice sounding incredulous. Tetsuki cringed in fear behind her. Her attention turned back to the man, her right hand raised.

"But I'm dealing with you first." She growled. Just as she was about to punch her fist into his chest, was she prevented. Haruno Tetsuki was being mauled up terribly by Naruto. He bit anywhere his growing canines could sink themselves into, and he growled in satisfaction at the taste of blood.

"Uchiha! It's up to you to stop him!" Tsunade yelled, racing to Naruto's side. Sasuke gently set Sakura down and out of harm's way. He raced to Naruto's side, slinging a hard punch into the blonde's cheek. Naruto reeled with the blow and angrily turned his attention to Sasuke.

Sasuke sighed deeply as he forced more chakra to the Sharingan. "I really hate to do this to you Naruto, but you leave me no choice. Tsunade-sama will be able to bring you out of it, once you're back to normal."

Sakura watched in horror as Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the shoulders, staring him straight in the eyes.

"TSYIKUMOI!" Sasuke shouted.

Naruto slumped to the ground, his eyes closing and the orange chakra tails disappearing rapidly.

Tsunade let out a deep sigh of relief. Sasuke turned his attention back to Sakura, who had been watching her two teammates the whole time. "SAKURA!" Sasuke shouted, right as Tetsuki pounced on her, yanking the kunai from her grasp and making to stab her in the heart.

Tsunade was too fast for him. She slammed her chakra-filled fist into his chest, pulling away from him as Tetsuki screamed in pain. His body writhed on the floor and he lay there for a moment before his screaming died in his throat.

Sakura stared down in complete horror and shock as her father's life left his body.

"Are you ok?" a voiced asked from her left. Numbly, she looked up at the own of the voice. Emerald green met cool onyx. "H-Hai." She whispered.

"Uchiha, take her home." Tsunade said softly. "I'll drag Naruto down to the hospital. He'll be fine by this time tomorrow, don't worry."

Both shinobi nodded solemnly before Sakura let Sasuke nearly drag her from the room.

The walk back to his house was solemn and silent. She could feel the pain rising in her throat as she fought hard to swallow. The events of her father's death still very fresh in her mind.

"T-Thank you." She whispered after a moment.

Sasuke looked down at her. He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently. Sakura leaned her head into his chest and closed her eyes as they came to a stop outside of the Uchiha estate.

Sasuke felt her draw a deep breath before she hastily wiped her eyes. He didn't say a word as he lifted her chin, raising her face to look him in the eyes. "Are you sure you're ok?" He asked softly. She nodded, biting her lower lip anxiously as she fought to stop the tears from welling in her green eyes again.

"I just, I didn't expect all that to happen and I—"

Before she knew it Sasuke had placed two fingers over her mouth, silencing her. "Everything's going to be ok Sakura. It's over." He felt her choke on a sob and he instantly pulled her close. "Sakura…" He whispered in her ear.

"Never again. I will be by your side always." Sakura pulled him closer at that. "You promise?" She whispered, not quite believing her ears. He traced a finger down her shoulder until it reached her hand. He took it in his own and entwined his fingers with hers.

"I promise." He said, a smile gracing his gorgeous features. Slowly, but surely, the ghost of a smile that she'd worn for years started to turn into the real thing. When she looked back up at him, Sasuke felt his heart melt.

_HIS Sakura_ was smiling at him. With one swift motion he gently cupped her face with his hand and pulled her closer until their lips met. Sakura nearly melted into him and she wrapped both arms around his neck. He smirked as he gently nibbled on her lower lip. She opened for him instantly, allowing him to taste every part of her. She squealed as he scooped her up bridal-style, carrying her into the Uchiha Estate and down the street to his house. The whole time they never separated.

When he finally reached his doorstep, she pulled away, gasping for breath and her face beet red.

"Sa-Sasuke-kun." She gasped, her cheeks tinged pink and her green eyes filled with love for him. He smirked as he remembered something. He tightened his grip on her by her knees, squeezing gently just above her kneecap. Sakura squealed with laughter. It filled the whole room and filled his heart with so much happiness.

She was gradually coming back.

"H-Hey baka, that's no fair!" She complained as he carried her up the stairs. He didn't stop at her door as she thought originally, but continued straight to his room. Sakura was quiet then as he slid his door open, then closed behind him. With her in his arms, he gently set her down on the bed, his fingers automatically finding a sweet spot behind her neck. She laughed, her giggles filling the whole room. "Ne, yamete Sasuke-kun!" She gasped. He smirked down at her as she made an attempt to grab his hands. He was too strong for her, however, and he got her again, making her squeal pierce through the long-time silence that had blanketed the house for over a decade.

"O-Onegai! Sa-HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Sakura squirmed as he pinned her underneath him, not giving in. He let her struggle a little more before he captured her completely. One of his hands caught both of hers above her head while his other pressed a finger to her lips.

"Now, that's _my_ Sakura." He said softly as her laughter slowly died down as she realized he was growing serious. She blushed slightly, her eyes lowering from his face. Her heart was pounding so hard against her chest, and she was more than positive it wasn't from her struggling against his teasing. She could feel her cheeks heating up with embarrassment as she felt his hand underneath her chin, bringing her to look back up once more.

"It's been a while since I've heard you laugh like that." He said, his voice growing soft. Sakura bit her lip as she smiled slightly. "I didn't really notice." She lied. Her eyes slowly started to sting with upcoming tears.

"I did." Sasuke murmured. He leaned in close, nuzzling her neck and making her let out a deep sigh of content. He released his grip on her wrists, her hands instantly wrapping around him in a hug.

"Why?" She whispered. The long-awaited question that burned in her mind for a while since his return finally found its way out. She felt him pull away to stare her in the eyes fully.

"Why?" He repeated. He seemed to ponder a moment before answering. "I…changed, Sakura." He answered after a while. He looked her in the eyes as he said this too, letting her know that he was serious and he meant what he said. He felt her shiver slightly.

"I realized something after I left," he continued. "I realized how much of a moron I was for betraying Konoha, betraying you. I came back after I accomplished my stupid ambition. You were right. It wasn't worth it. Revenge didn't help, but vengeance did. If Itachi were to live, he would come after those who had become important to me. I couldn't let that happen…" His voice trailed off.

Sakura couldn't speak. She stared up at him in complete disbelief. "Sas-uke-kun?" She whispered after a moment. Her heart had swelled in her throat. Tears had also risen to her emerald orbs. He cupped her cheek in his hand.

"I also couldn't stand to see you cry again." He said softly. Within a few nanoseconds, the distance between them closed, the salty taste from her tears dripping onto her lips filled both of their senses. Sasuke gently slid his tongue across her already slightly swollen lower lip.

As Sakura opened for him, he had already gathered her into his arms, holding her close to his warm body. Her eyes had closed, long-since ignoring the tears streaming down her cheeks.

When they broke apart, Sasuke leaned his forehead against hers. "I don't ever want to hurt you again Sakura." He said softly. "I will be here for you, always." He felt his upper body being held against a smaller form. He looked down at the mess of pink under his chin. He ran his fingers of his free hand through her pink tresses, his other arm already wrapping around her body protectively.

They remained like that for a while before a knock was heard on the door downstairs. Opening his onyx eyes in a frustrated fashion, he cuddled Sakura closer to him, allowing himself to fall backwards on the mattress.

The knocking continued for a short while after that, but it eventually subsided. Sasuke closed his eyes, mentally thanking kami-sama for the relief.

"Sakura?" He asked after a minute. He felt her stir next to him. She pushed herself up on one arm to look him in the eyes. "Hai?" She asked, shivering slightly with her lack of warmth, separating her body from his. He let her sit up completely before he sat up as well, grabbing her hand.

"C'mon, I want to show you something."

He said, pulling her gently by her hand. Sakura followed him as he stood up. Sasuke led her to one of his windows. He smirked at her as he pushed the window open wide. He climbed out onto the roof, and held his hand out to her. Sakura took it without thinking, her heart pounding as he helped her out onto the roof with him.

The two walked hand in hand up to the top of the Uchiha home. Sasuke sat down, gesturing for her to do the same. Sakura settled down next to him and tucked her knees up to her chin. She gasped as she took in the view. It was simply _gorgeous_!

Their view overlooked the magnificent lake, which was now shimmering with the sunset's bright, magnificent colors. "Sasuke-kun, this is…" She couldn't finish her sentence. Her eyes drank in the view, imprinting this scene to her memory, not wanting to let it disappear. "Do you like it?" he asked quietly. She nodded. "It's so, _peaceful._" She said, looking back at him. Her breath hitched in her throat when she saw him. His hair was blowing slightly with the wind, showing off his flawless skin. Sakura met his gaze and her heart jolted as she realized that he was staring at her intensely.

"Sasuke-kun, nani—?" She was cut off as she felt his hand slip behind her neck, pulling her closer. Sakura felt his lips capture hers before she knew what happened. Sakura's eyes widened but after the initial shock wore off, she pulled him closer so that their arms could go around each other. She'd waited for _years_ for him to do this, but she'd almost given up on it. She was so glad that she hadn't.

Sasuke smiled as he felt her freeze initially. But soon she melted against him, pulling him closer to her. He waited a moment for her to get comfortable before he gently slid his tongue across her lower lip. Sakura opened for him instantly. Tears of happiness streamed from her now closed eyes as she felt Sasuke deepen the kiss.

**_SHANNARO! He's FINALLY discovered his love! I KNEW waiting for him was the right thing to do!_** Inner Sakura was hollering.

_Eek! OMG! I can't believe, Sasuke-kun!_

When they broke apart, Sakura's eyes were wide. Her shocked expression turned from that of surprise to happiness. "I still love you, you know." She said, smiling shyly up at him.

The weight on Sasuke's heart lifted. He looked considerably relieved.

"You do?" He asked, his voice sounding incredulous, but hopeful.

"Of course baka!" Sakura said smiling brightly and cupping his face with both hands. "I could never stop loving you! It's what kept me going all those years that you were gone! How else was I supposed to live? I can _never_ love anyone but _you_!"

Sasuke smiled. He took both of her hands in his, pulling her close again. Sakura closed her eyes as she felt their lips meet again. Her arms went around his neck pulling him close again. She felt his arms go around her slender waist, pulling her closer to him. Her heart was filled with happiness as she realized that one of her dreams had come true.

Her first kiss had been with the one that she loved.

"Thank you, Sakura." Sasuke whispered in her ear as they broke apart, breathing hard. Sakura smiled, even though she was more than positive both of her cheeks were bright crimson.

Sasuke smiled. "Sakura?" he asked.

"Hm?" she asked.

"Your face is red." He said, causing Sakura to blush prettily before she turned her head. He spun her back around by her shoulders and she fell into his lap.

"I love you too." He whispered as he held her. She cuddled into his chest as they both watched the rest of the sunset. Sakura looked up above them to see the stars start to appear. "It's so pretty." She whispered, her eyes wide like a child's. Sasuke followed her gaze and he too, smiled. "What, looking at the stars?" He asked. Sakura nodded.

"Have you ever seen a shooting star Sasuke-kun?" She asked, looking up at him. He shook his head.

"Wanna stay up so we can see one?" She asked, her eyes looking playful. He looked back down at her and saw her face. He laughed. "We're 19 Sakura; we don't have to worry about going inside early." Sakura smiled sheepishly. "I know, I just—"

Sasuke put a finger to her lips, silencing her. "I'm up for it if you are."

Sakura's face lit up. "Okay!"

**_Well look who finally took my advice…_** Inner Sasuke swooned. Sasuke rolled his eyes, but the smile never left his face.

_Your advice? Wasn't it technically already mine?_

_**Pfft, whatever. Damn you for being a genius!**_

_Hey, I can't help it. I've been this way since I was little. _Sasuke laughed silently.   
"What are you laughing at?" Sakura asked curiously. Sasuke looked down at her. She looked so pretty just lying there like that. Her pink tresses were splayed out on his lap, and the stars reflected in her eyes. The moon had come out and its light reflected on her porcelain skin, giving her an angelic look.   
"Nothing." He said quietly, brushing a few strands of her hair from her eyes.

Sakura smiled up at him. Her eyes grew wide after a moment, and she pointed over his shoulder. "Look Sasuke-kun, quick!" Sasuke looked up in time to see the shooting star Sakura was pointing at.

He closed his eyes and made his wish…

Sakura squeezed her eyes closed and made her wish too…

Sakura giggled as she sat up. "I hope it works…" She whispered to herself.

They sat for a while, just staring up at the stars. It was some time before Sakura finally shivered. Sasuke took note of this, but chose that moment to act. From the depths of his pocket, he pulled out a black velvet box. Squatting down before her, he looked her deeply in the eyes, taking her hand in his. Her eyes grew exceptionally wide as he smirked, opening the small box to reveal a beautiful engagement ring.

"Sakura…" He began. His voice sounded somewhat timid, if that were at all possible for an Uchiha. "Would you, would you please give me the honor of spending the rest of my life with you…becoming the second Uchiha in Konoha?"

Her free hand had clapped itself over her mouth as fresh tears stung her eyes. _That was quick._ She thought inwardly. She thanked that star that she'd just wished on…

"YES! OH HELL YES!" She exclaimed, throwing herself in his arms. He caught her lovingly, burying his head in her hair, breathing in her scent.

She was _his_ and his _alone._

His Cherry Blossom.

Sakura hugged him tightly to her then, never letting go. _Oh Kami-sama, you truly do work miracles, don't you?_ She thought gleefully to herself. As they pulled away, Sasuke gently slid the ring onto her finger. He was gentle, making sure that she felt the ring slide completely on.

An involuntary shiver ran up her spine. "C'mon, we should get inside. Tsunade will kill me if you catch a cold."   
Sakura smiled. She took his hand and they both walked carefully back down the roof until they reached Sasuke's window. He pulled her through the open window and set her down once they were inside.

With a quick glance at the clock, Sakura's eyes widened. "It's really late…" She whispered. Sasuke took her hand and led her back down the hallway. "You should get some sleep." He said opening her door. Sakura nodded. She fell against his chest as fatigue finally took her. Sasuke caught her and picked her up. He carried her to the bed and tucked her in. Sakura cuddled into the warm covers. Her eyes opened as she felt Sasuke start to leave. "Sasuke-kun?" She asked softly.

He turned around. Sakura smiled at him. "Aisheteru."

He smirked and walked back to his future wife's side. He leaned in close and kissed her softly on her forehead. "Aisheteru." He said. Sakura pulled him close for a hug and she breathed in his scent. He made her feel so…_safe._

"W-will you stay here tonight?" She whispered, her eyes looking up at him, pleading. He nodded almost instantly. He slipped his shoes off and climbed in next to her. She cuddled into his chest and smiled when she felt his arms go around her. Sasuke noticed immediately how well their bodies molded together. Perfect.

She fell asleep almost instantly.

---

He stood impatiently on the doorstep, his foot stamping softly on the ground. He knocked again. "I don't think that persisting will bring him downstairs any faster…" a stern voice said over his shoulder.

Still no response. He finally gave up trying to be patient, and he drew a deep breath, filling his lungs with air before…

"SASUKE-TEME! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" Naruto screamed as loud as he could. He pounded on the door again, only this time instead of his fist colliding with the door, it collided with a nose.   
"DOBE!" Sasuke shouted, catching his now bloody nose with his hand. Kakashi merely rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Have you seen Sakura-chan? I stopped by her house earlier but her door has been burned down and—"

"I'm afraid you have Sasuke-kun to thank for that Naruto." Sakura's voice came from behind cheerfully. She came to Sasuke's side dressed in the clothes she had on the previous day, her eyes narrowing worriedly as she gathered chakra to her hand. "Here Sasuke-kun, let me see." She said gently. Naruto watched in complete shock as Sasuke willingly dropped his hand from his nose, blood starting to pour out. Sakura staunched the blood-flow first, then gently and carefully set his nose before healing it. He looked up at her and smiled. "Thanks." He said. Sakura smiled, pulling him into a hug. "No problem." She said happily.

Kakashi nearly dropped his latest copy of Icha Icha Paradise. Ad dubious look on his usually laid-back features.

Naruto's jaw had just simply dropped. "Wh-what the hell happened?" He asked his cerulean eyes wide. "I'm going to go get dressed." Sakura said cheerfully. "Do you want breakfast Sasuke-kun?" She asked. "Sure." He said, smirking at her. Their eyes met each others for a second and they silently agreed, both getting the other's questionable look. Sakura leaned in close for a moment to peck him on the cheek. "Ok! Invite Naruto-kun and Kakashi sensei in, will you? You guys wait in the living room, I'll be right back."

Naruto dropped to the ground anime-style. Kakashi sighed, shooting a quick glance at Sasuke; he stepped over his blonde student and into the house. Sasuke kicked Naruto in the shins. "Get up dobe. You're looking like an idiot." Naruto was on his feet instantly. "Ne Sasuke-teme, what happened with you and Sakura-chan?" He asked again, shaking his head as if to clear it. He still couldn't believe the display in the front hallway. Sasuke rolled his eyes. "We've gotten, _closer_." He replied. He pointed to a chair in the living room and gestured for Naruto to sit. "I'll be right back."

Naruto nodded dubiously and sat down, his brain still trying to put two and two together.

…

Sakura twirled around in her fresh clothes in front of the mirror. She brushed her hair and smiled brightly. The morning sunlight came through the window, illuminating the whole room with its warm rays.

She giggled. _Last night was so much fun!_ She thought as she ran the brush through her shoulder-length hair.

**_It's about damn time you two finally got together! Jeez, I was thinking that you'd stopped caring about him!_** Inner Sakura was ranting, throwing her hands in the air exasperatedly. Sakura frowned suddenly.

_How can you say that? I could _never_ stop caring about Sasuke-kun! I've always loved him! _YOU_ of all people should know that!_

_**Pfft yeah, sure. Perhaps instead of a shinobi, you should have considered the job of being an actress…**_

_Oh honestly! _

_**Hehehe, he's standing outside our door you know…**_

Sakura gasped slightly before her smile took over her face again. "Sasuke-kun, I know you're standing there." She called. The door opened. He entered, looking like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"Just wanted to let you know that Naruto's hungry…" He said, smirking. Sakura twirled around, facing him with a happy smile on her face. "I know, I said I'd be right down, didn't I? You guys can wait two seconds, right?" She grinned at his shocked look. She grabbed him by the collar of his blue shirt and pulled him close, pressing her lips to his. He responded almost instantly. He ran his fingers through her freshly brushed hair lovingly. He suddenly seized her by her shoulders, backing her up until both of them fell onto the still un-made bed, with him on top. He leaned in close, capturing her lips again with his own. When they broke apart, Sakura giggled. "Ohayo." She said. He smiled. "Ohayo indeed." She grinned happily up at him. "Did you sleep ok last night?" He asked softly, the fingers of his right hand caressing her face softly. She nodded. "Of course I did Sasuke-kun. I had you to sleep with."

He smirked. "Get used to it."

She smiled back. "Oh you better believe it." She never let the grin leave her face as she grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled him down for another kiss.

"NE SAKURA-CHAN! IS BREAKFAST READY YET? I'M STARVING!" Naruto's voice could be heard from all the way downstairs. Sakura's eyes widened. "You're not kidding." She said giggling, pulling Sasuke along with her. "I said I was coming Naruto, jeez!" She called as she and Sasuke descended the stairs.

They entered the living room only to find Naruto sprawled out on the couch watching anime. They both burst into laughter. Their third member of Team 7 really was like a kid at heart. He was 19 already, but acted like he was 5 again. Naruto looked over the back of the couch to find his two teammates laughing. He quickly changed the channel. "Stop you guys!" he whined, sitting up. This only made them laugh harder. Even Kakashi smirked behind his mask. Sakura stole a glance at her teammate. His blonde hair clashed horribly with the blush on his face. "Alright, alright." She said, getting up. "I'm going, I'm going." She said. "Sasuke-kun, you stay here. You two behave until I call you for breakfast!"

Sasuke smirked at Naruto's dubious expression. "Ne, ne, ne, Sasuke-teme, really, tell me what happened!" Naruto said, facing his best friend. This caught their sensei's attention a bit, and Kakashi lowered his perverse book a little to gaze expectantly at Sasuke, who just merely shrugged. He didn't want to give it all away without letting Sakura have her chance to explain as well, so he just shrugged it off and said, "We talked."

Naruto's eyebrows lifted. "That's, _it_?" He asked disbelievingly. Sasuke smirked. "Why do you care so much? Haven't you made a move on Ino yet?" He asked, turning the pressure on to his best friend. Kakashi's eyes widened and he looked from Sasuke to Naruto to back to Sasuke. This certainly was a new twist for them. Instead of competing over abilities, they were competing over _women?_ He leaned back in his chair, dropping his book over his face, groaning. "I never knew this day would come with you two…" He groaned. Naruto squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. "Ano sa, Sasuke-teme, that's not fair…" He said, frowning slightly, acting as if Kakashi hadn't said anything. Sasuke raised both eyebrows and gave him an expectant look.

"Well?" He asked.

Naruto nodded. "Wearegoingonourfirstdatetonight!" He said all in one sentence. Sasuke rolled his eyes. "How about in something _other_ than mindless babbling?" He asked, taunting him. He knew he'd hit a nerve when Naruto's eyes narrowed. "WE ARE GOING ON OUR FIRST DATE TONIGHT!" Naruto shouted, loud enough for the entire village to hear.

Sakura popped her head in the doorway, a bowl in her hand and a questioning look on her face, right as Kakashi chose that moment to start laughing.

"Who's going on a date tonight?" She asked. Sasuke looked up at her smugly.

"Our Naruto has grown up and gotten himself a girlfriend." Kakashi answered smoothly, looking across the room at the blonde ninja. Naruto's face turned a brighter color than his black and orange outfit. "GUYS! Leave me alone already! Jeez!"

Sakura giggled. "Congratulations! I'll have to drop in at Ino's house to make sure her outfit makes her look hot tonight!" Naruto's jaw dropped another inch and he sweat-dropped. Sakura smirked as she looked at Sasuke.

"SASUKE-TEME!" He shouted. Sakura threw one of the couch pillows at him. "Naruto, chill. I'm almost done with breakfast. I'd appreciate if you didn't tear the entire house down, ok?" She departed, heading quickly back to the kitchen. Naruto plopped dejectedly onto his chair once more. Sasuke leaned back on the couch, a winning smile on his usually stoic features.

"I'm going to get you for that you bastard." Naruto grumbled. Sasuke only smirked.

Sakura called them both for breakfast a minute later and Naruto raced to the kitchen. Sakura had prepared a wonderful breakfast in such a short time. Fruit, eggs, rice and toast filled each plate, with a tall glass of milk for each of them. The boys sat down and ate almost ravenously, as if they hadn't eaten in days. Kakashi smiled as he politely slipped his mask back on behind his book. "Well kiddos, I must be off. I have to run a quick errand before later. I'll meet up with you all soon." With that, he disappeared with a _poof._

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Naruto, are you training today?" She asked after she watched the blonde wolf down his breakfast. He nodded. "What about you Sasuke-kun?" She asked, looking over at her other teammate…_and future husband…_She added mentally.

He nodded too. She sighed. "I think I might go see Tsunade-sama then. Have fun you two. Don't kill each other, ok?" She said, getting up and depositing her plate into the sink. The guys looked up at her defeated look.

"Ja ne!" She said, forcing a smile before disappearing. Sasuke stood up quickly. "Finish up; I'll meet you at the bridge to wait for Kakashi." He said, following suit and following Sakura out the door.

He caught her at the door, pulling her shoes on. "You used your chakra to speed up the healing process, didn't you?" He asked, leaning up against the door panel. Sakura spun on her rear to see him standing in the doorway. "Kinda. Sorta. Not really. Yeah…" She said, giving him a sheepish look. "How could you tell?" She whispered.

"You seemed more fatigued yesterday, and also how quickly you fell asleep last night. It really wasn't all that late you know…" Sakura bit her lip. He'd caught her.   
"I just want things to go back to being normal, you know?" she said softly. "Sakura, your body will heal in time. Don't over-do it, ok?" Sakura smiled, looking back up at him. "This another one of those things that you think I need?" She whispered. He smirked. "I don't _think_, Sakura. I _know._" She giggled as he pulled her close, burying his face in her neck. She smiled. "You and Naruto be safe today Sasuke-kun." She said, hugging him close.

"Don't worry; I'll be sure to leave him in one piece. He can't become the future Hokage if I mess him up too much." Sakura giggled. "Hai, hai. Plus, that won't go over too well with Tsunade-sama. She kinda likes him you know. She'll never admit it though."

Sakura sent Sasuke a shy smirk as he opened the door for her. Sasuke caught her by her hand and pulled her back for one last kiss. "I'll see you later, ok?" He said, letting her go. She nodded, heading down the street, the sun filling her vision and hope rising high in her heart.

_Things will be ok; I'm more than positive of it. HOLY SHIT! Just wait until everyone finds out! I'm going to marry Sasuke-kun!_

Both Sakura and Sasuke thought silently to themselves, _I'm thanking that star with everything I am right now…She/I said YES! _

**A/N: Hehehehehe. There was quite a bit of SasuSaku fluff in this one. I'll explain the things in the next chapter that I didn't get around to doing in this chapter. **

**I'm not done just yet, don't worry! I think that there are maybe one or two more chapters left. xD**

**Thank you's are going HERE from now on. I know you people just wanted me to shut up at the beginning, so here's my total and complete appreciated THANK YOU SO VERY VERY MUCH to the fabulous reviewers! **

**lookupon scarletskies** Yeah, her father fked with the WRONG shinobi, that's for sure! xD **Buyo-Chans** Hehe, yeah, Naruto almost did the job for ya girl! But he's gone now. Kinda sorting paving the way for GOOD things to happen to Sakura now. WOOT! **narutofan4ever** Hope you liked this chapter! Thanks for reviewing!**Shinobi Darkbeak** Thank you, I will do my best! **hot-ninja-babe** Oh believe me, this is almost done! xD Thanks for reviewing! **snow-leopard-demon24** Sadly, yes. But have some hope because when one story comes to a close, another one is just starting. I have an idea for a future fic after I get done with this one and Stained Cherry Blossoms. **Egyptian-Fire** Hehehe. Yes, Sasuke-kun deserves a tomato. he hates sweets so saying he gets a cookie would just make him mad…xD **Mezumi Uchiha** Yeah, he had it coming to him, seriously. I dunno if what Sasuke-kun said to him in the prison had _any_ effect on him at all. Guess we'll never know..xP He WAS a bastard though. **Pink-Kunoichi-16** Yeah, she isn't hell-bent on it like Sasuke was in wanting to see Itachi die. But it was just enough of a hint to freak Sasuke out. Everything's ok now though, as you can tell…xD **white-rosekiss** More SasuSaku? GLADLY! xD Hope you liked this chapter! **Pinstripe** Teehehehe. Thanks a MILLION Pinstripe! **Outsane** Yep. Emotions are against being in the ninja-rule book. But we're all human. xD **Black Rose Dye** hehehe! Thank you so much! Hope this was good enough!**sweetmaiden**Hai! I think our world today would be so much better off if we were short all those people on this planet who are like Tetsuki. Stupid loser meanie people. xP Thanks for reading! **Magan** LOL! Sorry it took me so long to update/ I had school crap I had to do this week. xP **neon kun** OMG, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. Your review made me feel so happy! I try my hardest with my stories and I'm always afraid people are going to hate them. Thank you so much for your continued support! You officially rule by my standards…xD **MeiMeiPrettyFlower** WEEEEEE! Yeah! xD Sad endings always make me feel uber depressed. I don't like feeling that way. So…HAPPY ENDINGS ALL THE TIME HERE! xD **AnimexMusica** lol, thank you! And Sakura doesn't follow that path for long. Thank you so much for reviewing! **Raefire606** SHANNARO! Thank you so so so so very much! **HeartAngel** Hmm…I didn't really get to that too much in this chapter. But rest assured, I will explain it next chapter, I PROMISE! xD Thanks for sticking with me! **kafwinn** Yeah, I'm so sorry for making you wait longer. I edited this chapter three times, pulled a huge chunk of replacement story from another file that I'd wanted to add in later, and I had to make sure it all fit together before I updated. Thank you so much for reading! **Blue Moiraine Sedai** He did, didn't he? xD Don't worry, Naruto's ok. xD **angel bathed in hell fire** Aww, thank you so very much! I hope you liked this chapter! **blackXheart** NOO! Don't kill yourself! That bastard is DEAD! Don't worry! xP **x.emri.x** Wow. Just, wow. I can't believe you actually took _that_ much time to review that long! Thank you so much for your advice. I took as much of it as I could and I incorporated. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! **inuyashababe44** Wow, are you serious? That really makes me feel honored. Thank you so much! **Kiyumi Nazuma** Yeah, I have actually. But it sucks cuz no such occupation exists. I share ALL my work with my mom we're really close and she tells me that she wants to send some of my stuff off to publishers and stuff. I always refuse cuz I never think my work is good enough. xP **SabakuNoBrandye** lol, I shall! Fear not! xD hehe, jk. Thanks for reading!

**OK! So, it's coming to a close, but like I said, it's not completely done yet! Don't worry guys, I'd never leave you all hanging permanently. xD Hehehehe!**

**Thanks so much for reviewing! **


	8. Part 8

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto; cuz if I did you wouldn't see this ridiculous message…xD

WOOT! We're into chapter eight! Thank you so much readers who have left me feedback! You honestly have no idea how much it helps to read it, especially when my brain decides to shit out on me and go "BLAH!" xD

**A/N: In this chapter, Sakura talks about one of the Chuunin from the Chuunin Exams. His name is Isumo, and NO he is NOT an OC! He's the property of Kishimoto. He also works in Tsunade's office, that's how she knows of him. Just read so you know what I'm talking about. Hehehe!**

Check for the replies at the end, ok? Lol!

ON WITH CHAPTER EIGHT!

**The Strength of the Heart**

**Part 8**

The wind blowing one's hair in one's face could really be annoying. After all, it made for difficult vision in the midst of battle.

"TEME! PAY ATTENTION!" Naruto screeched, his kunai swinging forth in a killing blow. His opponent just simply rolled away, catching the blow of the sharp weapon in a dead-lock with his own kunai. His onyx eyes opened, revealing blood red.

He was choosing to take this fight seriously.

He smirked as he let his grip on his kunai slip, bringing his other hand around in a powerful punch. The blow landed painfully hard in Naruto's stomach. The blonde hunched over against Sasuke's hand, feeling a few ribs snap. He coughed up blood and glared at his raven haired opponent. "I'm gonna get you for that you bastard." He growled. Sasuke did his best to hide a smirk.

"Oi, Sasuke." Kakashi called, pausing the fight between the two male members of Team 7. "When are you going to tell us what _really_ happened with you and Sakura?" Sasuke's eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly.

Naruto chose that moment to attack. He swung his fist has hard as he could, putting his weight into the punch. His fist landed with a satisfying _crunch_, right in the side of Sasuke's face, as the young Uchiha was caught extremely off his guard.

"DOBE!" He shouted, staggering back, one hand holding his now bruised and broken cheekbone while his other gripped his kunai angrily. He charged at his blonde teammate, readying himself for his next attack. Naruto smirked happily as his best friend charged at him, murder written in his eyes. He jumped to the side, dodging the kunai attack but walked right into the trap Sasuke had set. He felt himself being flung up and back, hitting the base of a nearby tree. He looked up in time to see Sasuke doing hand seals for a _very_ familiar jutsu. Naruto's cerulean eyes widened in shock as he quickly performed kawarimi no jutsu to get away from the huge ball of fire being launched at him by a _very_ pissed off Uchiha. Sasuke smirked as he watched Naruto scamper. His blood-red gaze followed the blonde's movements and narrowed as he saw Naruto hiding in the tree directly behind Kakashi. He rolled his eyes in annoyance as he watched for a second as Naruto read their sensei's book unbeknownst to Kakashi, over his shoulder.

"Oi, Kakashi." He muttered, pulling a kunai out of his holster. Their sensei looked up from his perverted orange book. Sasuke was glaring at him. "What is it Sasuke?" He called, already sensing Naruto's chakra behind him in the tree. Sasuke flung the kunai into the branches, hearing the expected yell from his blonde teammate. "Tell Naruto to stop fucking around." He growled, turning around and heading back towards the center of the clearing. Naruto sat up after a moment upon landing on his rear from his fall. "Hmph! Screw you teme!" He shouted, getting up and straightening his hitai-ate. His hands made the familiar cross for Kage Bunshin no jutsu seven clones of himself all charged Sasuke at once.

Kakashi sighed, his nose dropping back into his book. _Some things never change._ He thought silently.

…

The knock on the door brought her attention back from her thoughts. "Come in." She said dully, calling through the door. It opened, and a bright-eyed, cheerful pink haired kunoichi entered.

"Ohayo gozaimasu Tsunade-sama!" Sakura said, a happy smile gracing her features. Tsunade's almond eyes studied her apprentice for a moment before she thought to herself, _something's changed…_

Sakura merely grinned. Her happiness was hardly bridled as she clasped her hands behind her back, hiding her left hand. Tsunade studied her for a moment longer before she tossed the scroll she was reading to her desk and leaned exhaustedly back in her chair, looking up at Sakura. "All right, I give up, what's happened?"

Sakura could barely contain herself, but she swallowed her excitement because she wanted to let Sasuke also explain too. "Ohh, nothing. I just, well…" Her voice trailed off as she bit down hard on her lip, stifling a squeal.

"Give it up Sakura. You're squealing like a 12-year-old girl with a crush." Sakura gave her a hurt look. "But I—"

Tsunade smirked as Sakura stopped herself from saying more. "Fine. You won't tell me now, but I'll get it out of you sooner or later." Sakura bit her lip again, hiding her smirk.

"On a different note, I want you to go to room 1007. I'll check up on your injuries. They should be pretty much completely healed by now. You more than likely could join up with Naruto and Sasuke in training with Kakashi." Sakura's eyes lit up.

"Really?" She squealed. Her hands were clasped together underneath her chin. "You mean it?"

Tsunade smiled. "Yep. But I have to approve you first. Now go!" She said, watching as her apprentice quickly departed. She listened silently for a moment after Sakura's departure. She heard what she was expecting as Sakura squealed in the hallway…

"I GET TO TRAIN WITH MY SASUKE-KUN! SHANNARO!"

Tsunade grinned.

_Yep, something's definitely up. I wonder…_ She thought silently as she quickly grabbed her med coat and Sakura's file from her desk before exiting her office.

Sakura was sitting on the exam table, humming cheerfully when Tsunade came in. Her eyes were staring off out the window, lost in her thoughts. "Am I interrupting anything?" She asked, smiling slightly as she watched Sakura jump with surprise. Her green eyes widened when she saw Tsunade smiling broadly. "Tsunade-sama, what?" She asked quietly.

"Oh, it's nothing, future Mrs. Uchiha." Sakura's eyes widened, her heart leaping into her throat at the sound of the name. "It's true, I see." Tsunade said, quickly getting to business. She opened Sakura's file. "But, but, how did you know?" Sakura blurted out. Tsunade gave her a sly look. "I've been training you everyday for the past six years and you don't think I've learned all there is to know about you? Come now Sakura, you give me too little credit." Sakura blushed. "G-gomen Tsunade-sama." She said softly. She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Sakura, I would have been more disappointed if you didn't act like this. I know how strong your heart is, young lady. Just take care of yourself, ok?" Sakura smiled. "Hai!"

After a quick check-up and being cleared by Tsunade, Sakura had taken off running out of the hospital, a huge grin gracing her features and her heart in the clouds. _Should we tell everyone today, Sasuke-kun? Tsunade-sama already knows..._

…

Naruto reeled with the punch that sent him flying halfway across the clearing. He looked shakily up at his raven haired teammate, who was still glaring at him, but his anger diffused ever-so-slightly.

"You had a quick recovery from yesterday, dobe." He growled, coming over to where Naruto sat, breathing hard, up against a tree.

Naruto flashed him his cheesy grin. "That's cuz I never give up teme! I had to train more!" Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I wonder what Sakura would say if she were here…" His voice trailed off and he looked back at Naruto, who surprisingly had gone completely dead silent.

In fact, his normally cheerful eyes were wide and he was completely speechless.

"Teme, you just…" Naruto barely could finish his sentence before Sasuke muttered a "Hn" and walked off to be alone.

Kakashi watched the whole thing from behind his book. Before long, Naruto had gotten up and dusted himself off. He came over to where his sensei was and plopped down on the soft green grass. "Ne, Kakashi sensei? What the hell do you think is up with Sasuke?" He asked, looking up at the silver haired jounin.

"Naruto, I'm sorry you're so dense." was Kakashi's reply. Naruto rolled over, anger suddenly flaring up. "What the hell does that mean!" He shouted.

At that moment, a kunai shot past and embedded itself in the ground next to him. His eyes widened then narrowed in anger. It was most likely Sasuke. He threw an angry glare over his shoulder and was about to tell the Uchiha off when he froze.

Sakura stood, arms crossed over her chest in a defiant stance and an angry glare on her face.

"Naruto, just chill, will you?" She muttered, walking past the now completely speechless fox Nin. He caught her by her hand and pulled her back. "Sakura-chan, do _you_ know what the hell is wrong with Sasuke-teme!" She turned her gaze back to her blonde teammate. A smirk slowly worked its way onto her face. "You mean he hasn't told you guys yet?" Excitement rose within her as she felt a familiar chakra approach. "That bastard hasn't said anything at all!" Naruto screamed. Sakura heard a sigh. She looked up to see their sensei standing nearby. "Naruto, I believe the two of them will tell us when they're ready..." He paused, his eyes taking one more glance at his book before looking back up at Sakura. "But, we would be so much more appreciative if you would stop keeping us in the dark about everything."

Sasuke smirked.

He came up behind Sakura, leaning close to her ear. "Should we tell?" He whispered, his breath tickling her ear. She sent a sly smirk over her shoulder at him. "If you want to." She said, wondering what it was that he had in mind. "Okay." He said softer, so only she could hear.

"Let's go get some lunch. Dobe, you pick." Naruto's _and_ Kakashi's eyes widened at this. Sakura giggled. "Ichiraku!" Naruto shouted, throwing a punch into the air. Kakashi rolled his one visible eye as the future Hokage took off running towards his favorite ramen stand. "I'll see you two later." He said, turning to go. But much to his surprise, Sakura stopped him. "Kakashi sensei, um, we would love it if you joined us for lunch too." She said, looking over her shoulder at Sasuke, who merely smirked. Kakashi smiled. _Ah, so I'm guessing those two are going to fill everyone in over lunch, ne? Well, can't pass this opportunity up! It'll be like that one chapter in Icha Icha Paradise—_

"Kakashi sensei?" He was dragged out of his perverted thoughts by a hard punch to his shoulder. He looked down to see Sakura standing with a hand on her hip and an expectant look on her face.

He sighed. "Alright, I'll meet you guys there, ok?" Sasuke smirked and came forth, grabbing Sakura by her arm. "Fine. See you." He said, pulling them both away. Sakura gave up. She was going to try to get their lazy sensei to come with them, but she let it go the minute she felt Sasuke tug on her arm.

"Ja ne." She said, allowing herself to be pulled away.

The minute Kakashi disappeared; Sasuke whisked her behind a tree. Sakura didn't have the time to gasp in surprise as her mouth was already occupied. She leaned into his chest as she felt his arm go around her. When they broke apart, he leaned his forehead against hers. The cool metal from his hitai-ate cooling her glistening skin.

"I missed you today." He said softly. Sakura smiled. "I wasn't gone very long dummy." She said playfully. "How was your day?" She felt him shrug. "Naruto was being a dumbass again as usual—" He paused when he heard her giggle. "That's nothing new silly." She said, pulling him close. She closed her eyes as she leaned her head on his chest. "What did Tsunade say?" She heard him ask. A smile crept onto her face as she turned her gaze to meet his. "Oh nothing really. She just said that I should be able to get back to training with you guys again." She couldn't conceal her grin, however. Sasuke smirked. "But there's something else?"

"Sasuke-kun, I swear I didn't say a word." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

_Ah ha. I see. I should have known Tsunade would have been able to figure it out. She _is_ the Hokage, after all._ He thought. "Well, I guess its time we let everyone else in on the secret then, right?" He smirked as he watched her blush. "Mhmm." He lifted her chin with two fingers and pulled her close. "I can do it if you're there, Sasuke-kun." She whispered, before completely giving herself to the kiss.

Naruto sighed as he reached the ramen stand. He saw someone hide quickly behind the curtain before he could get a good look at them. He _did_ see a pair of pale eyes as the person emerged once again, hoping to steal a glance at him. The eyes widened and the person gasped, darting back outside again. Before Naruto could get up to go see who it was, however, a large bowl of miso ramen was placed in front of him. His cerulean eyes widened eagerly and before he knew it, his mind had forgotten about the mysterious person and focused on the heavenly smelling food in front of him. He grabbed a pair of chopsticks and cracked them apart.

"ITADAKIMASU!" He declared gleefully before ravenously devouring his beloved ramen.

"Training going well for you my boy?" Ayame's father asked, his back turned as he was standing in front of the large pot with a pair of chopsticks in hand. "Hai!" Naruto said. "I'll become Konoha's next Hokage before you know it!"

"Keep dreaming dobe." A new voice said to his left. Ayame's father turned his gaze to the two newcomers. "Hey Sasuke-teme!" Naruto said loudly, punching his friend a little _too_ hard in the shoulder. Sakura smiled. "Hungry as always, right Naruto?" She said, sitting herself at her usual place by his side. Naruto didn't respond as his mouth was full, but he gave her a thumbs-up. Sasuke settled in next to her.

"And what can I get for you all?"

Sakura smiled as she put a finger on her chin. "Hmm, I dunno..." Her voice trailed off. "Two orders of pork ramen, please." Sasuke spoke up. He smirked at her when she sent him a confused look. "You took too long." He replied. Sakura sighed, doing her very best not to want to punch him. Sasuke saw the look in her eye, and it only made his smirk grow wider.

"There you go kids." The stand owner said, placing two steaming bowls in front of them. Naruto slurped the rest of the broth from his third bowl before declaring that he was ready for the next one. "Keep 'em coming baa-san!" Naruto cheered.   
Sakura rolled her eyes.

She heard a small noise behind her, one that sounded slightly familiar, but it had been a while since she heard it. Turning around, she slipped off of her seat, giving Sasuke's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I'll be right back." She whispered in his ear. He nodded, but watched her as she exited. Sakura walked around the side of the stand, where she saw someone sitting, hunched over, their head buried in their arms. Sakura recognized the person immediately.

"Hinata-chan!" She declared, kneeling down beside her friend. "Are you ok? What's wrong? Why are you out here by yourself?" The flood of questions made Hinata look up. "S-Sakura-san..." She whispered, tears flooding her eyes once more. "Is, is it true?" She whispered. Sakura's heart leapt into her throat. "Hinata-chan, what's wrong?" She pulled her friend into a tight hug. "P-please don't tell me it's true!" Hinata cried. Her whole body shook as she sobbed. Immediately, Sakura heard the pain in her friend's voice. The pain of losing a loved one. "Oh Hinata..." She whispered, realization slamming into her like a shuriken hitting its mark.

Before she could say another word, however, she saw a flash of blue and black to her right. Jerking her head in that direction, she saw Sasuke leaning up against the wall, a concerned glare plastered on his face. Sakura sighed, waving her hand at him. "Its ok." She mouthed to him. He raised an eyebrow at her, shooting a quick glance at Hinata before his gaze returned to her. "She'll be ok." Sakura whispered almost inaudibly. Sasuke smirked, nodding at his future wife's meaning before returning inside the ramen stand once more. Sakura smiled to herself, but then turned her attention back to Hinata.

Hinata cried hard into her shoulder. Never in her _life_ would she ever have imagined that horrible girl Yamanaka Ino, to take her beloved Naruto away from her. Sakura rubbed her back soothingly. "Shh, Hinata-chan, it's going to be ok." She said quietly. She felt Hinata flinch. "H-how can you s-say that?" Hinata stuttered, choking on a sob. Sakura smiled.

"Because I happen to know a certain Chuunin who works in Tsunade's office. He's had an eye on Ino-pig for a while; she just doesn't know it...yet."

Sakura lowered her head so she could look Hinata in the face, as her friend's head was still bowed. "And..." She said, making sure Hinata looked up before she continued.

"Have you forgotten that I'm Naruto's teammate?"

Hinata dared to show a small smile. "Sakura-chan..." Her voice was soft, almost wishful. Sakura smirked. "Don't worry Hinata-chan. Naruto is too dense for Ino anyway. I love him to death, don't get me wrong, but Ino's, well, _impatient_ when it comes to incompetence; something Naruto unfortunately sometimes has a lot of."

This time, Hinata _did_ smile. "Sakura-chan!" She squealed, grabbing her friend in a tight hug. "Thank you!" Tears streamed down her face, but this time, they were released for a different reason.

Sakura held her friend's embrace for a moment before pulling away, and brushing her friend's tears from her face. "Now, are you going to just sit out here and keep trying to steal glances at my crazy teammate, or are you actually going to go inside and have a meal with him?" Hinata's eyes grew real wide.

"O-oh, Sakura-chan, I-I d-don't think I c-could." She stuttered, a bright crimson showing on her cheeks. "I-I think I w-will just go."

"Oh I don't think so." Sakura smiled as she pulled Hinata to her feet. "You gotta catch his attention Hinata-chan!"

Hinata swallowed hard. "D-demo, Sakura-chan, I—"

Sakura smiled as she pulled her friend by the hand towards the entrance to Ichiraku. "C'mon. I _know_ Naruto will feel much better if he sees you smile. He got his ass kicked a lot today by Sasuke-kun." Hinata giggled. "Poor Naruto-kun." She whispered. Sakura paused at the entrance. She turned quickly to Hinata, leaning close to her friend's ear. "I'll talk to Naruto and Ino. Ino and I are going shopping tomorrow, so I will tell her about Isumo. He _really_ likes her. Trust me, if things go well, you and Naruto should be together really soon." Hinata blushed harder, her pale eyes contrasting greatly with her darkening cheeks. Sakura smiled, giving Hinata a hug before gently pushing her friend inside.

Hinata's gasp of surprise did not go unnoticed. Sakura peeked her face through the curtains and watched in excitement as Naruto spun around in his chair. His bright blue eyes widening as he saw the dark-haired Chuunin. "HINATA-CHAN!" He hollered, jumping off his stool and giving her a hug. Hinata squeaked in shock and her eyes widened. "N-Naruto-kun!"

SMACK

Naruto yelled in shock and anger as he released Hinata and clutched his head. "ITAI!" He screamed, holding his head. He looked up from the ground where he had painfully landed on his rear only to see Sasuke smirking. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR SASUKE-TEME?" He shouted angrily.

"She couldn't breathe you dobe."

"Are you going to do that to _every_ girl I hug?" Naruto shouted. Hinata's heart dropped. _He-he hugs a lot of other girls?_

"No, just Sakura. She's _mine_, not yours." Sasuke replied, and much to everyone's surprise, actually offered his blonde haired teammate a hand. Naruto stared at him dubiously for a moment before taking Sasuke's hand and allowing himself to be hauled to his feet.

Sakura watched the whole scene in complete shock. Turning her attention on Naruto and Hinata, she didn't notice Sasuke disappear. Naruto sighed deeply. "That teme." He muttered. "D-demo, Naruto-kun...daisyoobu?" Hinata asked softly. Naruto focused his attention on her. "Yeah Hinata-chan, I'm ok. Hey, do you want to eat some ramen with me!" Hinata's eyes grew wide. "Y-you're still hungry? You've had five bowls already!" Immediately she clamped a hand over her mouth as she realized she'd let herself speak out.

Naruto was quiet for a moment, but then he grinned widely. "Hey, you didn't stutter all that much Hinata-chan! You must be getting more comfortable being around me!" Hinata gasped and her hand clutched her shirt over her chest tightly. "I-I..." Her voice trailed off. Naruto smiled. "Well, you're getting there at least. C'mon, have a seat!" Hinata nodded, biting down a squeal as Naruto gently took her by her arm and led her to a chair. He actually was a gentleman and pulled the chair out for her. Hinata smiled sheepishly at him and sat down. Naruto grinned and plopped down next to her. "Old man! Two more bowls of Miso ramen please!" He shouted.

Ayame's father could only chuckle to himself. _These kids are growing up so fast..._ He thought.

Sakura watched the exchange through the curtains. _Aww Naruto, you have absolutely _NO_ idea how much you have made Hinata's day..._

"You know, it's not polite to spy on people." A deep voice said in her ear.   
Sakura whirled around to find Sasuke standing behind her, smiling smugly at her, having caught her completely off-guard. "Oh come on, you would be doing the same thing if you were trying to get two of your friends together!" He smirked and pulled her closer. "I'm no good with things like that. I'll leave all that to you." He said, pulling her close by the back of her neck. Their lips met in a chaste kiss, before it turned deeper. Sakura wrapped both arms around his neck and pulled him close to her chest. _Holy shit, I can't believe we're doing this in _public! _Someone could see us..._

"FOREHEAD GIRL!"

Sakura pulled away, looking over to her right, only to see a fuming Ino. "Yes, Ino-pig?" She said, smiling happily. She felt an arm around her waist and she quickly shot a glance up at Sasuke. He was smirking. Ino stormed over to them, her expression still one of utter and complete disbelief.

"You have QUITE a bit of explaining to do missy!" She grabbed Sakura by her arm and pulled her away from Sasuke. Sakura quickly looked over her shoulder at Sasuke. He was already moving and before Sakura could even get out a word, she felt herself being scooped up off her feet.

Ino froze. "Where do you think you're going with _my_ Sakura?" He asked, his hold on Sakura tightening.

Ino's eyes widened. "What are you talking about Sasuke-kun? She's _my_ best friend!"

"And she's soon to be _my_ wife. Your point?" Sasuke asked, watching for Ino's reaction. He got one.

"_YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED TO SASUKE!"_ Ino shouted disbelief quite evident in her voice. Her jaw dropped so fast she didn't even feel it hit the ground. There was a moment of awkward silence before Ino actually found the words to speak. People had started to emerge from shops and other buildings nearby. Even Hinata and Naruto stuck their heads out of Ichiraku's to stare dubiously at Sasuke and Sakura. People started murmuring, while other cheered.

Kakashi sensei chose that moment to appear. His visible eye widened his visible eyebrow rose before both crinkled in a winning smile. "So it's finally happened then." He murmured. Sakura's eyes were wide but a happy smile had graced her features. Neji and Tenten came out of a shop next to Ichiraku's. Neji raised an eyebrow at Sasuke but he smirked when he saw the happy look on Sakura's face.

"Congratulations Uchiha." He muttered as he passed, his arm going around Tenten's waist. She squealed softly and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"S-Sakura, w-when did this happen?" Ino stuttered.

Sakura squirmed a little in Sasuke's arms. "Yesterday." She said, giving in and wrapping her arms around his neck. She planted a big kiss on his cheek before leaning in close to his ear. "It's ok Sasuke-kun. Will you please let me down now?" She whispered in his ear. She saw him smirk and her heart leapt into her throat just like it always did whenever he did that.

"Hn." He muttered. He did release her though, letting her feet gently touch the ground once more. Immediately, people started crowding around them, asking questions. Ino pushed her way through the crowd of people. When she reached Sakura's side, however, she heard...

"**SASUKE-KUN!" **

Both Sasuke and Sakura's eyes widened in horror. Both knew that screeching sound and what it meant: fan girls. Kakashi groaned before looking over at the happy couple. "Sasuke, you'd best start running." He said as he entered the ramen stand.

"Oh shit." Sasuke murmured. He quickly placed a kiss on Sakura's lips before turning to go. "I'll meet you at the memorial in ten minutes, ok?" Sakura nodded, quickly catching him in a hug. "I love you, be safe." She whispered in his ear before letting him go. He smiled at her before disappearing with a _poof_.

Ino pulled Sakura with her. "Come _on_ Forehead Girl! If we don't move fast, those animals are going to _devour_ you alive! I shouldn't have been so loud. Now _everyone_ is going to know you're engaged to Sasuke-kun...and trust me, sometimes, that's _NOT_ a good thing." Sakura went with her, allowing herself to be pulled away and to the training grounds.

Once the loud noises of the stampeding faded, Sakura and Ino emerged from their hiding places. Thankfully, the majority of Sasuke's fan girls were NOT shinobi, hence their inability to nano-secondly climb trees.

Sakura landed swiftly on the ground, smiling at Ino as her friend dropped to her side. "When the hell did all this happen?" Ino declared. Sakura smiled. She didn't say anything though as she walked towards the old playground near the Academy where they all used to play as kids. Sitting down on one of the swings, she sighed deeply.

"He's, _changed_ Ino-chan." She said quietly. Ino raised an eyebrow at her before settling down in the swing beside her best friend. "I know that already baka." She said. "I knew from the moment he came to me asking about your stupid father."

Sakura's eyes widened and she shot a look at Ino. "He what?" She asked, her voice quivering slightly. Ino rolled her eyes. "I see. He didn't tell you, did he?" She shook her head before looking back at her speechless friend. "I'm _happy_ for you Forehead Girl. You two look so cute together!"

Sakura dared to smile. "So you're not mad at me?" She asked, giving her friend a knowing look. Ino laughed. "_THAT _rivalry between us has been over for a while my dear." She said smiling warmly. "I just am now going to prove that I'm a better kunoichi than you." Sakura's eyes narrowed. "You're on!" She said, standing up and taking a defensive stance. Ino laughed, doing the same.

"Let's make this short, k? Five hits each, no more than five minutes."

"That's plenty. You'll be out before you know it!" Sakura said, before charging at her.

…

Sasuke leaned up against one of the three wooden trunks at the first training ground of Team 7. He smiled as he vaguely recalled what had happened that day.

**_The first day you showed concern for her._** His Inner Self said smugly.

_Yeah. Lot's happened in seven years..._

_**At least you woke up and realized you cared for her! Now you won't have to mope around the village the rest of your life.**_

_Pfft, yeah. I just, don't want to see her hurt anymore..._

…

"Sasuke-kun?"

A voice drew him out of his reverie. He looked up to see Sakura leaning on the memorial. His eyes widened in horror as he saw that she was a little beaten up. He was at her side instantly. "Sakura, what the hell happened?" He asked his voice growing stern.

"I got lazy."

He sent her a confused glare. One which she merely waved off. "I'm fine Sasuke-kun, don't worry. Ino just so happened to know how to get past my defenses." She sighed. "There are plenty of disadvantages of having a kunoichi as your best friend..."

He was silent for a moment. Sakura watched him solemnly for that moment. But within a split second, she ran towards him, throwing herself into his arms and yanking him close.   
Sasuke was caught somewhat by surprise. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her closer. "I don't think, Sasuke-kun," She said into his chest, before lifting her head up so that she looked him in the eyes. "That I've told you just how much I love you today."

He smirked. "That so?" He asked, drawing her chin closer. She smiled. "Nope." She whispered before she pulled him to her, quickly closing the distance between them and felt that warm sensation washing through her as his lips met hers. Once they broke apart, Sakura gave him a quick once-over. "You managed to escape perfectly as usual I see." She said, taking his hands in her own and looking closer. With speed she did not quite have yet, Sasuke had spun her around, keeping her hands in his own, but trapping her against him from behind.

"Well, I couldn't very well leave you hanging, now could I?" He asked, his breath tickling her ear. She nodded. Her eyes slowly scanned the engraved names on the memorial. Once they came to rest on a particular one, her bright emerald eyes filled with tears. Her heart jolted as she realized that her mother's name was right on the same row as Sasuke's parents.

"Do you miss them?" She whispered. She felt his grip on her tighten considerably. "All the time." He said softly. Sakura looked up at him. She saw a slight sadness in his eyes before he met her gaze. "But now I've got you. Neither one of us are alone anymore." Sakura smiled warmly. "Yeah, you're right." She said, marveling at the bittersweet meaning. _Not alone anymore, but still have haunting memories in our hearts and minds._

"You ready to go home?" he asked after a long moment of silence. She nodded. "Let's go. We gotta get your wounds taken care of soon anyways." She smiled faintly as he turned to go. Her eyes cast a longing look at the memorial. "I'll be there in a moment!" She called to him. Kneeling in front of the memorial, she closed her eyes against her tears.

"I'm getting married, Okaasan!" She said softly. "To your youngest son, Uchiha-san." She said, gently running her fingers over Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto's names. Her cheeks stung with hot tears as they streamed down her face. "I wish you could be there as I become an Uchiha, Okaasan." She whispered. "I hope you're proud of me. I also want you to know that I'm trying really hard not to hate Tousa. He's hurt me so much, I don't know if I'll ever be able to forget..."

Sakura froze as she felt a pair of strong arms embrace her from behind. "You will." Sasuke said reassuringly. "Tousa, Okaasan, you remember Sakura, don't you? She's the love of my life, and the one I'm proud to say I will be spending the rest of my life with." Sasuke said quietly. Sakura looked up at him, and for the second time in her life, she saw tears in his eyes.

"Oh Sasuke-kun." She whispered. She pulled him to her tightly, holding him close while burying her face in his shoulder. She felt his arms tighten around her. For the first time in all of her life, she sat with Sasuke in front of the memorial, crying and mourning for their lost loved ones. It was so _peaceful_ in Sakura's opinion. She hadn't had the opportunity in the three years of her mother's death to properly mourn her loss, but now, it all seemed okay. All the pain started to lift, and an overwhelming sense of peace washed through them both.

They sat like that for some time. Before either of them knew it, the sun had set and the moon rose high in the sky, illuminating everything with a pale gentle light.

Sakura closed her eyes as she laid her head on Sasuke's chest. The soft sound of his heartbeat slowly lulling her to sleep. She felt his hand run through her hair softly. "I think its time we went home." He said in her ear. She nodded, slowly sitting up sleepily and rubbing her tear-streaked eyes.

"I'm free, Sasuke-kun." She whispered to him. He looked into her eyes. His heart lurched when he saw her smile. "I mean, he's gone." She choked on a sob, but her eyes were smiling. She felt an arm wrap tightly around her. "We're _both_ free Sakura." He said softly. "Itachi is gone, so now we both can live our lives."

Sakura sniffed softly but she felt two fingers underneath her chin, raising her face to look up at him. "Will you really spend the rest of your life with me?" He asked quietly. "After all that I've put you through?"

Sakura gave him a small smile. "Yes, of course I will Sasuke-kun. I love you!" She pulled him tightly to her in a hug. "You've saved my life. Thank you so much for getting me out of there." She whispered. His arms went around her, returning her embrace lovingly.

_Had I'd known about this sooner you wouldn't have suffered as much as you did._ He thought to himself. But she was here, she was alive, and in his arms where she finally belonged.

A long moment of silence passed, but it was not awkward. After a while, Sasuke spoke. "I guess we're gonna be busy the next couple of weeks then, ne?" Sakura turned her head to look up at him. She smiled as she nodded. "Mhmm."

Sasuke smirked as he bent a little and swept her off her feet and into his arms. _She's so light and warm…_He thought silently. "Then I guess we'd better spend some time alone before our lives become busy." Sakura's eyes widened at his meaning and she snuggled in to his chest. He began the walk back home, her happily wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling herself up so she could lean her head on his shoulder.

"I love you Uchiha Sasuke." She said in his ear. He kissed her on her forehead.

"I love you too." He said quietly.

**A/N: Hehehe! I'm working on the next chapter. I highly doubt I will get it out before the end of the school year though. My lappy was sent off to be fixed last Friday, so hopefully it will come back soon! Until then, I hope everyone studies hard for their finals and doesn't fall victim to bad grades because of reading fan fiction too much…xD (That happened to me first semester…xP) **

**Thank you for reading everyone and please don't forget to review!**

**Thanks to everyone who has stayed with me throughout all of this and thanks to everyone who has joined them! You all are so wonderful! **

**Shinobi Darkbeak** Thank you. xD **snow-leopard-demon24** hehe, I won't have it until the start of chapter ten! There's much to be prepared and done! The next chapter will cover all of that, and then we'll get to some fluff and anxiety before the big day, then yeah. So thanks for reviewing and please keep reading! **Mezumi Azuma** LOL! You keep changing your name! xD Thank you for sticking with me.**Pink-Kunoichi-16** LOL! Yeah, I had to kill him off because he was just too much of an $$ of a character to keep around. xP But yeah, THANKS! I hope you at least liked this chapter! **Kiyumi Nazuma** Hehehe! It's ok! I squeal when I'm writing too because I imagine it happening and my heart just soars. Thank you for reading! **Buyo-Chans** I dunno, I was thinking about having him watch Trigun then turning to Kakashi sensei and asking why the hell Ninjas don't use guns to get the job done and having either Kakashi or Sasuke thwack him upside the head saying that guns completely were against the art of being a ninja…xD (I'm seriously thinking about using this now in a later chapter…xD) Thanks for reading! **blackXheart** An extremely fitting song I might add! One of my friends is going to be making a soundtrack for this story, so I'll ask her to put that in it! ARIGATOU! **OtakuAnime131**It's ok! Thanks for reading and sticking with me! **Bloody Crystal Tears** LOL! I will be updating more and hopefully getting this fic to a close because I've got another one that I'm starting right now! I won't say anything more, but thank you for reading! **sweetmaiden** XD Hey, my hopes are high for them in the anime! I mean, Sasuke can't restore his clan being Orochimaru's little pet and future container now can he? I KNOW he's going to betray that snake bastard. Don't you worry. **Magan** I know I know I know! I'm working on it cuz my lappy is finally off on its way to get all better (new LCD screen) and it should be back very soon! I'll be updating MUCH more once finals are over! **KarmaLord** Mhmm! Thanks for reading! **Pinstripe** Teehehehe! I love it too! Hope you liked this chapter! I'm working on the rest of the plot and then eventually…the ending. :( **sasukelover:** Ehh, yeah. But don't worry, I'm not keeping it. I'll have it change in the next chapter. Besides, what's gonna happen to poor Hinata-chan if Naruto is with Ino-pig? xD I'm DEFINITELY changing that part! **-just a random person-** (blushes) thanks. I'm glad you liked it! **Egyptian-Fire** O.o are you serious? Thank you! I'm trying, believe me. Thanks so much for reading! **Raefire606** A twist, you say? Hmm, this DOES merit pondering! I'm not quite to the ending yet, but I'll get there eventually. Lol! Thanks for reading! **Sexual-Itako** yeah, as I told Sasukelover, I am not keeping that pairing. I don't really like it myself. A friend suggested it but now I'm happy with pairing Naruto with Hinata. That pairing just _fits_. xD Thanks for reading! **lookupon scarletskies** Yeah, I'm kinda curious as to what's under his mask too! Lol! Ya never know…I might take up Raefire's idea and have a little twist in the ending…hehe. You guys are just gonna have to wait and see! XD **hot-ninja-babe** XD Arigatou. **AnimexMusica** YOU PRINTED IT OUT? (Feels extremely honored) WOW. Lol! THANK YOU FOR READING! **Itachi's-Gurl41** Just wait till you see what's to come! You remember that pic of Sakura's mother don't you? xD **gaaraismyluver** You officially rule. xD I'm no fangirl, but I squealed quite a bit when I reread this. I know it sounds corny, cuz it's my own story, but I just LOVE Sasuke and Sakura together. It's just so _perfect._ **Sienna Alexanderson** lol! Yep! More is to come!


	9. Part 9

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto; cuz if I did you wouldn't see this ridiculous message…xD

THANK YOU so much to you all! I love all my reviewers to bits and pieces! I wouldn't be where I am today without you all, I'm serious. You keep inspiring me to continue writing, and I feel like if I don't work hard enough then I'm letting you all down. / But anyways, you guys seriously rule and COOKIES to you ALL! xD

Next up from my annoying gushing: My friend Mela-chan has wonderfully created a soundtrack for this fic! You all should check out the songs because she worked hard putting the soundtrack together and it's simply MARVELOUS!

STRENGTH OF THE HEART SOUNDTRACK:

1. Time Stand Still- All American rejects  
2. Because Of You- Kelly Clarkson  
3. Emergency- Paramore  
4. You Found Me- Kelly Clarkson  
5. Camisado- Panic! At the disco  
6. Move Along- All American rejects  
7. 7 Minutes In Heaven- Fall Out Boy  
8. My Paper Heart- All American rejects  
9. Stick with You- Pussycat dolls  
10. Sakura Kiss- Chieco Kawabe

_QUESTION THAT NEEDS ANSWERING!_

**Ok, since this fic is _slightly_ AU, how should the wedding be? Should it be Japanese or should I write it out like an American wedding would be? Cuz if you all vote for Japanese, the next update will be a little longer away because I will need to do some research to get the details right. When you're done reading, leave a review along with your vote…ONEGAI SIMASU!

* * *

**

**The Strength of the Heart **

**Part 9

* * *

**

Bright eyes opened in the morning sunlight pouring through the window, splaying warm rays on her face. Rolling slightly over and pulling the pillow underneath her head over her face, she murmured "Don't wanna get up…"

She felt something tighten on her waist.

"You sure? You don't want to sleep away the whole day, do you?" A smooth voice asked softly in her ear. She felt fingers slip under the pillow and tickle her behind her neck.

Giggling, Sakura pulled the pillow tighter over her head. "Ne Sasuke-kun! Yamete yo!" His deep chuckle warmed her heart and she peeked out from behind the pillow to gaze at his face. A playful smirk had graced his gorgeous features and Sakura couldn't help but inwardly squeal.

_My Sasuke-kun._ She thought happily to herself.

His charming smile sent a surge of excitement through her. Sakura sat up, looking him in the eye. "I don't know…sleeping is always good." She said in a mischievous voice. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her, already getting an idea at what she was going to do next. Sakura's grip on her pillow tightened as she pulled her it back behind her. As Sasuke was starting to reach for his own pillow, Sakura swung hers around, hoping to catch him in the shoulder, but he blocked it with his arm and moved quickly, grabbing her around her waist and pinning her down to the bed.

Sakura looked up at him, wide-eyed. "Playful this morning, aren't we?" He asked a smirk ever-present on his face. Sakura giggled. "Kuso…you caught me." She said, feigning a pout.

"Too bad." He murmured, leaning closer. "I'm sure I would've beaten you anyway in that little battle."

At that, Sakura's jade eyes widened and she wriggled out of his grasp. "WHAT?" She asked her voice faking an outraged tone. Sasuke smirked and tried to grab her by her wrist, but she flipped backwards off of the bed, grabbing her pillow along with her.

"That's it, you're on Uchiha." She muttered, her normally cheerful features narrowing in a frown.

Sasuke smirked. "You really think you can take me on like that?" He asked, gesturing to her. "You're still in your pajamas." Sakura felt her cheeks heating up, but then she smirked.

"Nah, I just think you're scared you'll lose to a girl." Sakura had a winning smile on her face now, and she stood ten feet from the bed, her pillow held in a defensive position.

"Hn."

Faster than she would've expected from him so early in the morning, she felt his chakra disappear as fast as he did. Looking wildly around the room, Sakura's grip on her pillow tightened.

"You still haven't learned to watch your surroundings." She heard from behind. Spinning around fast, she feigned a hit at his stomach, instead catching him in the face with her pillow.

"HA!" She shouted triumphantly. Her emerald eyes shone with pride as she jumped over his foot that was meant to bring her to the ground. Smirking, he came at her again, this time, catching her off-guard as she lost sight of him and regained her bearings too late. Feeling her body being pinned to the ground, she shoved her pillow up into his face, obscuring his vision. Smirking to herself, Sakura rolled backwards and away, freeing herself from his proximity. Thinking quickly, her hands formed a cross seal, silently murmuring, "Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" Three clones of herself came at Sasuke, pillows held high above their heads.

Recognizing the technique, Sasuke spun on one foot, landing a kick that took all three of them out with a _poof_. The real Sakura had leapt into the air, and was descending upon him when he smirked, and caught her in his arms.

"Nice try." He whispered in her ear. She blushed, further deepening the crimson hue on her cheeks from being out of breath. Sakura then felt a pillow lightly plopping in her face. She squealed as she pushed it away and looked up into his eyes. Sasuke carried her back to the bed where he gently laid her down, but straddled her, holding her wrists above her head.

"The only way an Uchiha can lose is to be defeated by another Uchiha." He muttered softly.

Sakura wriggled under his grasp. "Yeah, well, I'll beat you soon enough." She said, catching his meaning and finally giving in, smiling up at him.

He smirked.

Without wasting another second, he leaned down, his lips brushing against hers.

"I will look forward to it." He whispered into her mouth before capturing her lips with his own. Sakura responded immediately, this time, instigating the kiss further as she nibbled on his lower lip. Smirking against her mouth, he parted his lips and kissed her fiercely. Sakura moaned softly after a moment as their tongues continued their passionate dance. Releasing her wrists from his grip, Sasuke pulled her up against him, holding her close as he let them both fall back on the bed. Her hands went around his neck while his tangled themselves in her pink tresses.

After several moments, they parted, needing air. Sakura's cheeks were flushed a light pink as she chewed on her lip, looking up into his dark charcoal pools. Running his hand lovingly through her hair, he whispered, "Ohayo."

Sakura smiled. "Ohayo Sasuke-kun." She leaned up, pecking him lightly on the cheek and wrapping him in a hug. "I love you."

He returned her embrace, burying his face in her hair. "I love you too, my little cherry blossom." His deep voice whispered in her ear. Sakura smiled into his shoulder, squeezing him tight for a moment before making to get up.

"Ne Sasuke-kun, we're going to be late. Kakashi sensei—"

"Will be as late as ever." Sasuke finished, letting her go and sitting up as well. Sakura smirked.

"Hn." She muttered. She caught her future husband's eye and she smiled playfully, her tongue sticking out slightly at him.

"I might as well start acting like an Uchiha, ne?" She asked ruefully, her smile never faltering. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her. "You can try." He said, getting up and walking over to her. "But you will need some work." Sakura crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.

"Try me." She said, forcing a glare.

He smirked as he closed the distance between them.

"You're annoying." He said stoically. Sakura rolled her eyes in mock annoyance.

"Hn." She responded. "Go away. You should focus on being on time for training instead of acting so foolish." She fired back. Sasuke forced himself to hold back a chuckle, hiding his smile with a glare. _Oh how those words are all too familiar…_ He thought to himself.

"Who said anything about going away? I was here first, its _you_ who should go away." He retorted.

"Tch, whatever," Sakura paused, mentally debating on whether or not to finish her sentence, "dobe." She murmured in a quieter voice.

Sasuke's eyes now narrowed. _Woah, she's good._ He thought.

"Hn."

Sakura whirled around to face him. Instead of seeing his typical glare that he always gave their blonde teammate, he was smirking at her. Her heart jumped into her throat and her stoic expression cracked ever-so-slightly.

Their gazes locked for what seemed like forever before Sakura's façade finally caved and her face cracked into a wide grin.

"You're right; I guess I do need some work." She said, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close.

"No." He said softly.

Sakura pulled away slightly to look him in the eyes. "What?" She asked. Sasuke pulled her away and held her by her shoulders. "You don't need to change a thing." Sasuke said, running his hands up her arms until he held her face with both hands. He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs as he smiled.  
"You're perfect, just the way you are, _Uchiha_ Sakura." He smirked as he watched her expression change.

Overwhelmed with emotion at that point, Sakura did the only thing she knew how…yanking him to her in a fierce hug.

Sasuke smiled and ran his hand through her hair. "We really should get going." He said after a moment. He felt Sakura nod against his chest.

"Well, are you just going to stand there while I get dressed?" He asked, a mischievous smirk playing on his face. Sakura snapped her head up, her eyes widening and color rising to her cheeks.

"G-gomen." She said, backing away. Spinning on her heel, she quickly left his room, trying her best to hide her blush. Sasuke smirked as he watched her depart. _We'll be married soon yet she still gets embarrassed from something like this?_ He thought.

**_Oh you know all that will change once you two finally get together._** Inner Sasuke said smugly.

_Oh fuck, not you again. Just go away will you?_

**_You and I both know that's not possible, buddy. She's hot ne? I wonder what she'll be like—_**

_I am NOT thinking about that! NO Sasuke, just NO! _

Sasuke shook his head hard, trying desperately to clear it…and to knock his Inner Self around a little bit.

---

Sakura got dressed quickly, having done laundry the previous day; her clothes were tossed about on her bed…hence the reason why the night before Sasuke suggested she sleep in his bed. XD

She was ready within five minutes, brushing her hair and teeth quickly before racing downstairs. Smiling brightly at him, she pulled her shoes on and happily skipped out the door. "Come on Sasuke-kun! We're going to be late!"

He was at her side in an instant, racing with her to the bridge where their team met everyday.

* * *

Naruto was there already, waiting for them.

"Oi oi oi! How is it that I'm always the first one here now?" He shouted at his usually more punctual teammates arrived.

Sakura smirked. "Because you've become more punctual, Mr. Future Hokage." She said, moving forward and pecking him lightly on his cheek before playfully tousling his already unruly blonde hair. Naruto jumped back in time to avoid a punch to the gut from Sasuke.

"What the _hell_ is WRONG with you two!"

"Oh Naruto, just shut up, will you?" Sakura said, her cheerful smile never leaving her face. Sasuke had leaned up against the railing in his usual position, glaring at Naruto. His expression softened, however, when Sakura slipped and arm around his waist and rested her head on his chest.

"I wish we could've just stayed in bed today." She murmured quietly in his ear. He smirked and pulled her to him. "Yeah, but look how much fun we're having already." He replied softly, his eyes looking over at their gap-mouthed teammate.

Sakura giggled and kissed him lovingly on the cheek. "I wonder how much longer Kakashi sensei is going to be…"

Naruto's face had turned bright red.

"OI! LOVEBIRDS! Get a room already!" He shouted, a grin beginning to take over his embarrassed expression.

Right before Sasuke and Sakura were about to pounce on him, Kakashi appeared on top of the bridge, his typical perverted book open and a sheepish grin on his masked face.

"Yo…" he said in his usual lazy voice. Naruto sighed deeply. "Thank you Kakashi sensei!" He shouted happily before his expression changed drastically and he yelled, "BUT YOU'RE LATE!" Chuckling quietly to himself, Kakashi looked down at his only student complaining about his tardiness. His other two, he noticed, were just watching the whole display…in each other's arms.

_It's about time._ He thought silently.

"Well, I had to stop on my way here because Anko asked me to do a favor for her…"

"LIAR!" Naruto screamed at the top of his lungs. He'd already given up on teasing his teammates and found harassing their sensei to be much more amusing.

"Anyways…" Kakashi continued. "Training is going to be a little different today. Sakura, Yamanaka-san wants you to go to her shop today. I daresay you need an explanation why." The twinkle in his eye made Sakura blush. "H-hai Kakashi sensei." She said.

"Sasuke, Tsunade wants to see you in her office as soon as possible. Naruto, Jiraiya told me to give you this message: 'Meet me where I usually do my information gathering.' " Both Sakura and Naruto's faces turned bright red.

"THAT HENTAI!" Sakura screamed. Sasuke chuckled. Naruto stood up from his bored sitting position on the bridge. "So we're not training together today?" He whined. "I wanted to kick Sasuke's ass for the other day!"

Sasuke smirked as he pulled Sakura along. "Train hard _dobe_." He said a smug look on his face. "C'mon Sakura, I'll walk with you." She grinned happily before waving at their sensei and a _very_ pissed off Naruto.

"Ja ne!"

* * *

Sasuke dropped Sakura off at the Yamanaka Flower Shop on his way to Hokage Tower. "I'll see you soon Sasuke-kun!" She said cheerfully, moving towards the shop entrance. He caught her by her hand, however and pulled her back to him in a hug. Before she knew what had happened, Sasuke had lifted her chin and placed a light kiss on her lips. "See you soon." He murmured in her ear. Sakura smiled warmly and hugged him tight before he let her go. With one last smile, she disappeared inside the flower shop.

Completely ignoring the gaping looks from nearby shoppers and citizens, Sasuke took off again, taking a shortcut to get to Hokage Tower

…his heart soaring.

* * *

"Yamanaka-san?" Sakura called, her jade orbs scanning the shop for a flash of blonde. "Oh Sakura! You're early!" A voice called from behind. Sakura spun on her heel only to meet her best friend's mother's happy gaze. "Please, come with me! Ino has the tea set up already!"

Sakura smiled. "Hai!"

Ino glomped her best friend the minute she walked through the doorway. "FOREHEAD GIRL!" She exclaimed as she pulled away, allowing her friend to breathe. "I can't believe that you're really getting married to Sasuke-kun! Come! We are SO planning the perfect wedding for you!" Ino ranted some more and her mother merely smiled as the three of them sank into the fluffy cushions of the Yamanaka kitchen table.

"First of all, Sakura, I would like to congratulate you." Ino's mother said, wrapping her daughter's best friend in a hug. "It's not everyday that something as wonderful as this comes to pass!" Sakura smiled. "Arigatou, Yamanaka-san." She said respectfully.

"Oh stop being so formal forehead girl." Ino said, playfully punching her friend lightly on her shoulder.

"Now, down to business!" Ino's mother said brightly, pulling out a pad of paper and starting to scribble ideas down on it. "We have a lot to do within the next few weeks, so we'd best get started! Now, Sakura, have you thought about what you want your kimono to look like?" Sakura bit her lip. "N-no." She said, fighting to swallow the sudden sadness rising in her. "I-I always thought that my…would um, help me find one…but…" Her voice trailed off as she bowed her head, her bangs covering her eyes.

"Never mind." She whispered.

She felt a hand rub her back soothingly. "It's ok dear." Ino's mother said softly. "Tsunade-sama asked me to help you out as much as I possibly could with this. We'll plan a wedding so gorgeous for you that your mother would be proud."

Sakura looked up to meet Mrs. Yamanaka's gaze. "Really?" She whispered. Ino's mother gently wiped the fresh tears spilling down Sakura's cheeks. "Yes sweetheart." She said. Ino felt her heart wrench at the thought of losing her mother. She watched her best friend for a moment before going to her side and wrapping her friend in a tight hug. "Yeah Sakura, you're gonna be an _Uchiha_, you have to have a spectacular wedding!" Sakura released a small laugh at her friend's jibe. "Hai, Ino-chan, I guess you're right."

The two of them giggled as Ino's mother poured the now fully steamed tea.

"Now, let's get started. Sakura, have you thought about who you want to be in your wedding?" Ino's mother said, sitting across from the two girls, a pad of paper in front of her and a pencil scribbling away. Sakura put a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Well, um, my maid of honor, I would say is my best friend…" She grinned at Ino. Ino's blue eyes were wide and she squealed, wrapping Sakura in a tight hug. "We can have Hinata and Tenten be bridesmaids too!" Ino said, pulling away and yanking out a sketchpad. "Oh Sakura, we'll design the most beautiful outfits! I can't wait!" Sakura giggled.

"Ok, now what about Sasuke-san? Do you know who he wants in the ceremony?" Sakura frowned slightly. "Umm, no, not really. He and I both don't have any family left, but I guess he'd want his friends in there too…" Her sentence trailed off and went unfinished as she thought about Naruto possibly being in the wedding. She laughed softly. "I'll talk with him and have him come with me next time." She said, taking a sip of her now cooling tea.

Ino's mother nodded. "That sounds like a good idea sweetie." She said, turning the page of the notepad. "Now, let's start with the flowers…" Ino's mother said, beginning to open a flower catalogue. "There are all sorts of different flowers you can have at your wedding, but the time of year will greatly depend on what kinds of ones will truly be beautiful and in full bloom." Sakura turned herself to look at the catalogue better.

"Well, Ino knows, daffodils are my favorite flower, but they only bloom for a short time in the early spring…" Sakura's voice trailed off. It was already summer, meaning that if she and Sasuke got married during the time of the daffodil's germination peak, it would be almost another full year. "How about white lilies?" Ino's mother inquired. "They can even be grown indoors if you should choose to have the date be somewhere in the near future." Sakura nodded.

"Also, I would suggest pink roses," Ino piped up, "with some red and white on the side, as you and Sasuke will be officially starting the rebirth of the Uchiha Clan together."  
Sakura blushed heavily as her thoughts reverted to the events of that morning.

_FLASHBACK_

"_The only way an Uchiha can lose is to be defeated by another Uchiha." He muttered softly. _

_Sakura wriggled under his grasp. "Yeah, well, I'll beat you soon enough." She said, catching his meaning and finally giving in, smiling up at him. _

_He smirked. _

_Without wasting another second, he leaned down, his lips brushing against hers. _

"_I will look forward to it." He whispered into her mouth before capturing her lips with his own. _

_END FLASHBACK_

Sakura giggled softly to herself. She truly loved him with her entire heart, and it leapt for joy at the reminder of spending the rest of her life as a future Uchiha, standing by Sasuke's side forever.

"The place of the wedding will also be a major contributor to what kind of décor we can set up. If my memory serves me," Ino's mother began, "The Uchiha's have always had their wedding ceremonies in the Main House of the Uchiha Compound. Their gardens are among the most gorgeous in all of the Fire Country. It would be idealistic to have the wedding ceremony there, as cut flowers will hardly be needed." Sakura pondered this for a moment. _I know already all of the flowers there…I even have planted some new ones there…_She smiled. "I'll talk to Sasuke-kun about it when he gets back from Tsunade-sama's office. Ino's mother nodded.

"Well, that just leaves the kimono, shoes, make-up, hairstylist—"

"All of which shall be left up to Hinata, Tenten and I, mother." Ino interjected, smiling happily at her best friend. Sakura felt herself smile. _Same old Ino._ She thought silently, her smile never wavering.

Mrs. Yamanaka smiled at the two girls. "Ok then. Now, Sakura, about the invitations, do you want this to be a private ceremony?"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Ino nearly shrieked. "SHE'S MARRYING _THE_ UCHIHA SASUKE! Of COURSE the whole VILLAGE knows about this!" Ino's cheeks were flushed as she crossed her arms over her chest, giving her mother an "I-can't-believe-you-just-asked-that-question" look. Her mother sighed but kept the smile on her face as she turned her agitated attention to Sakura. "Well, it will be up to the Uchihas as to whether or not to invite everyone."

Sakura blushed a pretty shade of pink before shrugging. "I guess that's another thing I need to talk to Sasuke-kun about…" her voice trailed off softly as she heard her best friend giggle.

* * *

The first sound of the morning was the sharp, precise knock on the door. Almond eyes found the clock on the wall as she stared over a large stack of another headache of paperwork.

"Come in." she called, her mind already being taken from her arduous work as she realized who it was.

Uchiha Sasuke entered, looking less stoic than normal.

_Somebody got a good night's sleep last night._ Tsunade thought deviously in her mind. She could not, however, keep in the smirk that had graced her features. "Thank you for being on time Uchiha." She murmured, gesturing for him to sit.

Sasuke nodded wordlessly and sank into one of the chairs in front of her desk.

Tsunade smiled as she eyed him for a moment before standing and walking towards one of the file cabinets. Pulling it open, her eyes scanned the many files before she found the one sought. Opening it, three identical sheets fell into her awaiting hand. The top one, she noted with some sadness, was signed and dated exactly thirty years prior by Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto. Tears began to swell in her eyes at the added photo included behind the now deceased Uchiha's wedding license. Quickly gaining control over her emotions, Tsunade turned to the next page. It was signed by both Uchiha parents and for the eldest son, should he ever choose to marry. Tsunade's eyes bore into the name written elegantly at the top. _Uchiha Itachi._ Swallowing hard, she chose to let her anger pass as she turned to the third and last page in the folder.

_Uchiha Sasuke._

As the elder brother's, Sasuke's was signed, having permission from both parents to choose whomever he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. _They always were prestigious and smart._ She thought silently, praising the Uchiha's pragmatically made decision in thinking this far into the future for their sons.

"Tsunade-sama?"

She heard Sasuke's voice call slightly etched with some concern. She turned around, replacing her remorseful expression with one of happiness.

"I will need you and Sakura to fill this out and bring it back once you're done. After you two have done so, we can begin scheduling the date." She held back tears of happiness as she carefully handed the youngest Uchiha the marriage license application. Sasuke's dark eyes flicked over it quickly and she saw a slight change in his expression as his eyes came to rest on his parent's signatures.

"I also think that you should have this, Uchiha." She said gently as Sasuke lifted his eyes from the paper to look at her in question. Tsunade swallowed hard to rid herself of the large lump rising in her throat. She handed Sasuke the picture taken of his parents on their wedding day.

Sasuke's eyes widened. His father's smirk mirrored the one that he himself wore whenever he was around Sakura. His mother, wrapped up tightly in her new husband's arms was smiling brightly and much to Sasuke's surprise, giving the "V" sign kind of non-discreetly.

Silence engulfed the entire room as Sasuke silently stared at his parent's faces for the first time since he was eight. He felt hot tears start to burn his eyes, but he quickly pushed them away, pretending he had something in his eye.

_Tousa, Okaasan…_He thought sadly. He held the photo almost as if it were the most precious thing in the world. Tsunade watched with sheer wonder as the normally icy, stoic Uchiha stood up, never taking his eyes off his parent's photo.

"I'll be back tomorrow." He said, finally tearing his eyes away from the photo. He offered Tsunade a polite bow before he quickly departed, heading off towards the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

* * *

"I think we'll stop here for today." Ino's mother said, closing the planning book she'd been diligently writing notes in. "We've accomplished so much already!" She said brightly, getting up and brushing the wrinkles from her kimono. "I'm going to get dinner started. I will see you later Sakura dear!" She said. Sakura stood quickly and gave her best friend's mom a hug.

"Arigatou Mrs. Yamanaka." She said softly. She felt her embrace being returned warmly.

"Your mother was one of my good friends, sweetheart. I'm honored to be helping her daughter with something as important as this." Sakura smiled up at Ino's mom. "I'll see you all soon, ok?" She asked quietly, wiping tears from her eyes as she pulled away. Ino's mother nodded while her best friend wrapped and arm around her shoulders. "Duh Sakura, I'm your maid of honor, of COURSE we'll see you soon! We have to go shopping!"

Sakura broke into laughter. That was so like Ino.

"See you later Yamanaka-san." She called as Ino steered her out of the room. Her friend's mother waved cheerfully until the door closed behind them.

"Well forehead girl, you'd best get home! You wouldn't want your Sasuke-kun to worry about you, ne?" Ino said playfully. Sakura smiled. "Hai, hai. Arigatou Ino-pig." She said, wrapping her friend in a hug.

"For making me feel so much better about all this."

Ino smiled. "That's what I'm here for baka." She said once the two pulled away. "Ja ne!" Sakura said, heading off, throwing a happy wave back at her best friend. Ino waved back before disappearing inside once more.

Sakura walked along the streets, her gaze looking up at the clouds passing by overhead. _I wonder how Sasuke-kun is doing?_ She thought silently. Before she could register what had happened, she saw a flash of orange to her right as someone whizzed by her, nearly knocking her off her feet.

"NARUTO!" She shouted her expression one of mock anger as she fought to conceal a smile with a glare. Nothing could ruin her day at this point, not even her blonde teammate. "SAKURA-CHAN!" He hollered back, his cerulean eyes wide at the sight of her. "You wanna go grab some ramen with me? Ero-Sennin let me off early today!" Sakura sighed. He truly was easy to read like a book.

"Sure Naruto, let's go." She said, walking up to him and tugging on his sleeve. "We'll wait for Sasuke-kun there, ok?" The blonde nodded as he skipped a little before heading down the street towards his favorite ramen stand in all of Konoha.

"Ne, Naruto, how's things been with you and Hinata?" Sakura inquired once they'd sat down and placed their orders. The blonde looked at her incredulously. "What do you mean Sakura-chan? I still love you!"

Sakura sighed. "Naruto, I'm getting _married_ to Sasuke. Cut the crap already." Her voice was stern, but her expression was warm. Naruto grinned sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head in his trademark sheepish expression.

"Things are great!" He said as "Gramps" placed a large bowl of pork ramen in front of him. "ITADAKIMASU!" He shouted, snapping his chopsticks apart fervently and digging in. Sakura smiled. "I'm glad." She said, thinking back to a few days before when Hinata was in tears upon finding out that Naruto had gone on a date with Ino.

"Well, I must be off. I want to stop by someplace on my way home." Sakura said, hopping off her stool and giving her teammate a playful punch. "Ja ne!"

Naruto waved her off, not even realizing that she hadn't ordered or eaten any ramen.

…

The walk home was quiet. Sakura felt the cool breeze blow through her rosette locks and she closed her eyes at the overwhelming sense of peace washing through her. Taking a deep breath, she continued her trek home, that is, until she heard…

"SAKURA-SAN!" Her heart froze before it dropped to the pit of her stomach. She turned around to find Rock Lee racing towards her as fast as he could. _Oh great…_ She thought to herself. He came to an abrupt halt in front of her. "Sakura-san! I've been away on a most important mission!" He panted slightly before he straightened up completely. People in the streets eyed them curiously as Sakura took a small step backwards.

"Welcome home Lee-san." She said, genuinely kind.

"I have just been speaking with Gai-sensei, who had been informed by Kakashi-sempai on what happened to you in my absence. I am truly sorry to hear what happened! I WILL PROTECT YOU FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!" Sakura sweat dropped.

"Lee-san, its ok—"

"PLEASE LET ME TAKE CARE OF YOU FOREVER SAKURA-SAN!" He declared, dropping to his knees at her feet. He took her hands in his own and kissed the tops of them both. Sakura tried to pull away, but Lee wouldn't let her go.

"Lee-san please let go." She said after a moment. "I am grateful for your concern, but I—"

"Already have someone protecting her." An icy voice said from behind.

Sakura whirled around to find Sasuke standing close by. He approached until he was right next to her and his arm went around her waist protectively. "I would appreciate it if you took your hands off my future wife." He said, sending a cold glare down at Lee. Sakura felt a slight twinge of pride at her future husband's statement. She gently tugged her hands free from Lee's shocked grip.

"Thank you for your concern, Lee-san. But I am already Sasuke-kun's. I am flattered that you feel this way, but I think you should invest interest in someone who will love you equally as much in return."

Sasuke felt her lean her head into his shoulder. "It took Sasuke-kun a while to tell me how he felt, but it worked out in the end. I'm sure you will find that special someone who will want to spend the rest of their lives with you too."

He smirked as he placed a light kiss on her forehead. "See you later." He said, leading Sakura with him, the two leaving a very dumbfounded and heartbroken Lee behind.

The rest of the walk home was spent in complete silence, but words didn't need to be spoken, as being wrapped in each other's arms was enough to speak volumes.

…

Once they crossed through the gates of the Uchiha Estate, Sakura felt herself being spun around and gently backed up against the wall of the house.

"How was your day?" He whispered softly in her ear. Sakura giggled. "Successful." She said softly, looking up into his deep onyx eyes lovingly. Leaning forward, she brushed her lips against his. "I missed you today." She whispered before he closed the short distance, capturing her lips with his own. Sakura melted into his chest, enjoying his overpowering kiss as she felt him take control. It felt so good once in a while to know that she always didn't have to be strong all the time…that someone was there to be her strength. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled herself up into his arms as she fought the tears.

Once the two broke apart, Sasuke looked deep into her eyes. "What's wrong?" He asked softly, running the fingers of his hand through her pink tresses. Sakura shook her head slightly. "I just, I was thinking about my mother again today. I never imagined what it would be like not to have her be there on the happiest day of my life." She swallowed hard before looking back up at Sasuke.

"Me neither." He whispered, his thoughts reverting back to the photograph of his parents, carefully tucked in his pocket.

"C'mon. I need to show you something." Sakura nodded as she leaned her head against his chest and allowed herself to be steered inside. Sasuke lead her upstairs and into a large room she had not seen before.

"This was my parent's room." He said softly as he walked to the closet. He carefully slid the door open, revealing several sets of clothing. He looked through them before finding what he was looking for.

"Sakura." He said quietly. Her emerald eyes looked up at him. He carefully laid a white silk kimono on the king sized bed. "That was my mother's wedding kimono. I would be honored if you wore it when we get married." He said, bowing his head to hide the tears that threatened to come. He watched Sakura's reaction through the curtain of his bangs.

She was speechless. Her eyes were wide and a hand was clenched tightly on her collar of her shirt. Tears swelled in her eyes as she looked back at him.

"Sa-Sasuke-kun?" She whispered, her mind not quite believing her ears. Sasuke gently turned the kimono over, revealing the red and white Uchiha crest on the back. "It will officially signify you becoming an Uchiha." He said standing and slowly approaching her now trembling form.

A lump had formed in her throat, constricting all speech. Sakura could do nothing except stare up at him, emotion threatening to overwhelm her completely. She felt two hands grip her by her upper arms gently.

"Sakura?" He asked softly.

Watery green eyes stared up into concerned, dark onyx. He felt her trembling under his grip and he quickly pulled her against him in a protective embrace. Almost instantly, he felt her return it. She suddenly didn't feel so fragile anymore, but it was as if her strength returned with his reassuring presence. Closing his eyes and resting his chin atop her head, he felt her take a deep breath.

The two of them didn't move for a while from their places.

Sakura was the first to speak, breaking the long peaceful silence. "H-how did it go with Tsunade-sama?" She asked quietly, not making any move to separate them. His strong presence was comforting, and she really didn't feel like letting go.

Sasuke pushed back the lump in his throat as he opened his mouth to speak. "It was, good." He got out, his eyes closing against the sting of tears he knew would come. "Tsunade found something of great value and returned it to me." He continued, one of his hands leaving her to extract the photograph from his pocket. Sakura felt the shift and she turned her head on his chest to look up at him. She followed his gaze and found the object of his attention in his left hand.

Her heart leapt into her throat and her eyes filled with fresh tears as her emerald orbs came to rest upon a very early picture taken of the two newly-wed Uchihas. "Sas-Sasuke-kun, those are…?"

"My parents." He finished. He felt her grip around his waist tighten dramatically. "My mother is wearing that same kimono." He commented softly, his charcoal eyes momentarily glancing at the clothing lying on the bed before returning to his future wife. "She looks so pretty." Sakura whispered. "I would be honored to wear it when we get married Sasuke-kun." She said, looking up and brushing soft raven strands from his eyes. Her heart wrenched in her chest when his bangs were gently pushed away and she saw a pained look on his face. Pushing up on her tip-toes, she gently placed a kiss on his lips.

His sad gaze changed as he looked at her, slightly shocked. "I'm sorry." He said, hugging her close. "I promise you that you'll never be sad ever again." Sasuke breathed in her ear.

Sakura smiled through her tears as she leaned her lips close to his ear. "And I promise you that you will never be alone…_ever_ again." She felt him pull her against him tighter and she smiled once again.

_I certainly can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him._ She thought happily.

**_WELL DUH! I'm glad at least _SOMEONE_ has woken up and realized how they feel!_**

_Oh honestly, not you again…_

**_Heh heh heh. Get over it. You're stuck with me, for _life.**Inner Sakura said smugly.

_Yeah, well, that doesn't mean I can't ignore you._

**_Go ahead, I dare ya. I'm your innermost thoughts. I'm part of your _brain_ billboard head._**

_Tch, go away._

Sasuke heard her groan slightly and he pulled away, giving her a questioning look. Sakura merely shook her head, her cheeks heating up. _Dammit, I need to be more careful. He probably would think I'm insane…_

_**That's because you ARE! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! **_

_Can you not just leave me alone?_

_**HELL NO! Besides, where's the fun in that?**_

_Umm, it's _normal

_**Hn…explain this "normal" that you speak of…**_

_It's where a person doesn't have another mind ranting and raving in one's head…ugh, never mind._

**_Blah, that's _BORING**

Sakura actually let out a small laugh. Her inner self truly was insane. But it was a good thing Inner Sakura remained _inside_ her mind, instead of out. She smirked as she looked up at Sasuke. "It's nothing Sasuke-kun, really." She said truthfully.

He raised an eyebrow at her, but chose not to say anything. "Anyways, we both need to sit down and fill this out…" He said, pulling the marriage license application out of his pocket as well. Sakura's eyes widened and she dared to smile.

At the top, were both her and Sasuke's names.

_Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Sakura._

She bit her lip to keep herself from squealing in excitement. Sasuke saw the look on her face and smirked. Leaning in close to her ear, he whispered, "The sooner we get this done the sooner we can set a date." She looked up at him, her eyes wide. Their gazes met and held for a second before she nodded eagerly. "Hai! Iki masyō Sasuke-kun!" She said, tugging on his hand to lead him to the kitchen. His smirk never wavered as he allowed himself to be pulled out of the room and downstairs to the kitchen.

_There will truly never be a dull moment with her around._ He thought smugly.

**_I'm glad Mr. Stick-up-his-ass finally realized that._** Inner Sasuke said sarcastically.

_Fuck, not you again._

_**I'm part of your brain Mr. Prodigy. Get used to it.**_

_Tch, whatever._

_**It's high time you two finally got together. I was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten about restoring the Clan or something…**_

_Just SHUT UP! Sakura and I are doing this our way._

**_Yeah, and it's _BORING**

_Heh, get used to it._

* * *

Naruto woke with a start. He'd been dozing lightly in Tsunade's office, waiting diligently for the Hokage to return from whatever "important business" she'd been attending to all afternoon. The door burst open to reveal a very flustered looking Shizune and a very _drunk_ Tsunade.

"I teeeeeeeelllll you Shiiiiiiizuuuunnnnee! My lillllll Sakuuuuuuuraaaaaaa is getting marrrrieeeeeeeeed! She gonnnnna be a Uuuchiiihaaaa!" Tsunade slurred horribly as Shizune did her best to haul her friend and advisor up off of the floor.

Naruto jumped to his feet and ran to her side. "Ne, Baa-chan! Daisyoobu?" He asked a worried expression on his whiskered face. Shizune rolled her eyes. "She's just drunk Naruto-san. Help me at least sit her down so she won't topple down the stairs."

Naruto laughed. "She's like Ero-Sennin. Those two never stop drinking, do they?" Shizune sighed. "Unfortunately not."

Naruto slipped an arm underneath Tsunade's slumped shoulders and easily picked her up.

"Heeeeeeeyyy, puuut meeeeee doooooooowwwnnnn." She groaned, and made to swing her almost empty sake bottle at Naruto's blonde head. Shizune caught it, however, and chucked it in the garbage bin. "Tsunade-sama, you really shouldn't drink yourself to this point! Your health cannot allow it!" She fussed as Naruto plopped the wasted Hokage down in her chair behind her desk.

"I guess this would be a bad time to ask why I was called here?" Naruto asked, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin on his face. Shizune had an irked look on her face as she rolled her eyes.

"I guess so; you can always ask the _Hokage_." She growled, crossing her arms. "I wonder how Sakura-san puts up with you like this."

Tsunade hiccupped.

Naruto sighed. "Well, I guess I'll drop by later. I'm gonna go get some ramen, I'm hungry." He said, bounding out of the room. "Ja ne baa-chan!" He hollered over his shoulder.

Once he was out of Hokage Tower and walking down the street, he happily crossed his arms behind his head in his usual casual stance as he headed towards Ichiraku.

Before he could sit down at the ramen stand, however, he felt a presence behind him. His body tensed but then he relaxed as he recognized the person's chakra. A small smile flashed across his tan face as he spun around on the stool, waving wildly to the person hiding behind the corner.

"KONNICHI WA HINATA!" He yelled, startling the hiding girl out of her mind.

"N-Naruto-kun!" She squeaked, her face blushing a bright shade of crimson. "W-what are y-you d-doing here?"

"Getting ramen!" he said, as if it were obvious. "Wanna come eat with me?" He asked, holding his hand out. He remembered the look on Sakura's face a few days ago as she pushed her friend inside with him.

_Sakura-chan must've known all along…_

Hinata nodded slightly and timidly reached out to his offered hand. Before her trembling fingers could touch his, Naruto grabbed her hand and pulled her inside the ramen stand. "Oi! Gramps! Two bowls of Miso ramen!" He ordered to Ayame's father. The old ramen chef smiled as he nodded, prepping the orders of ramen.

"Ano, h-how was y-your day?" Hinata asked, averting her eyes so she wouldn't blush as much.

Naruto smiled. "It was weird. Tsunade baa-chan summoned me to her office and I sat there for a loooooooong time before Shizune brought her back and she was completely drunk!" Hinata gasped. "She was drunk?" She asked.

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, but that's kinda normal for her. You didn't stutter that time Hinata-chan!" He said a broad grin on his face. Hinata blushed again and smiled a little. "H-hai."

"Ano, you want to go for a walk after this?" Naruto asked, looking over at his blushing companion. Hinata nodded. "S-sure Naruto-kun." She said quietly.

Just then, two steaming hot bowls of ramen were placed in front of them.

Naruto's cerulean eyes widened and he grabbed a pair of chopsticks, snapping them apart and waiting for Hinata to do the same. "Ready?" He asked, watching her. She smiled a little and nodded. "ITADAKIMASU!" They both said, one shouting while the other timidly raising her voice to meet his.

Ayame's father only smiled. "Kids..." He murmured to himself as he went back to his cooking.

* * *

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the sssssloooooooooowwww update! ;; My lappy just got home about a week and a half ago and since then, I've been working on getting this done and Mela-chan sent me the soundtrack for this fic. I love her to bits and pieces for it! Anyways, I apologize for the slow chapter. I'm working on the next chapter soon, and hopefully everything will speed up a little and get back to normal paced. xD **

**Stained Cherry Blossoms probably won't be updated for a little while because Ino-chan and I are working on cosplays for AnimeBoston coming up in 2 weeks. So I'm getting UBER busy. xD Also, my internet is being a buttmunch cuz its wireless, so I'm not really on AIM all that much. BLAH! lol! **

**Thank you all for reading and please don't forget to review! **

**-Uchiha Sakura**

**THANK YOUS GO TO:**

**Sexual-Itako** lol, that's far! xD Sorry its taken me ssoooooo long to update! ;; **HeartAngel** LOL! Nah, I'm keeping the NaruHina pairing. It just doesn't work any way else. LOL! Shika belongs to Temari, sorry! XD Ino-pig will wind up with someone else…you'll just have to wait and see! xD **hot-ninja-babe** thanks for being so patient. **OtakuAnime131** LOL! Its all good! I'm working on making this one better and my other one is still in brainstorming for part of the next chapter. Lol! Sorry about the update notice eating up a review…/ **sasusaku4eva:** Hai, hai, I'm sorry. I updated as soon as I could! I promise I won't wait as long with the next one! **mikokitty159** ARIGATOU! Your review made me smile. I appreciate it. **aKiRe 11:** They actually got it back to me sooner than expected. I'm just so happy that its finally HOME! lol! NO MORE LIGHTSABERS AROUND MY LAPTOP! XD **harajuku-babii:** aww, arigatou! I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I promise it won't be as long with the next chapter! NO MORE SCHOOL! WOOT! **Brynn Parker: **Thank you for reading! **neon kun:** and I love you to bits and pieces for sticking with me with this fic! **55Itachi88:** Arigatou! xD **Fuyu-Tenshi:** don't worry, they will. I will put more NaruHina in the next chapter! I need to start evening it up, ne? lol! See ya next chapter! **sweet cherryblossom1:** LOL! ARIGATOU! Questions are always good. I made the rating the way it is because of the language and the earlier violence, but I'm still debating on whether or not to put anything more um…_descriptive_ between Sasuke and Sakura in here…I mean, I guess I'll work it up to that point, just like they are currently in their relationship…they're just not there yet. But also too, I didn't want my story to get deleted because I didn't rate it high enough for the content that I've been putting in here, ya know? Anyways, thanks for reading! **Shinobi Darkbeak:** And another faithful reviewer. Thank you for sticking with me! xD **Miaka54321:** I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH for putting together that awesome soundtrack! You seriously are like, the FIRST ever reviewer/reader who has dedicated that much time into this! I appreciate too you sending off that one chapter to Frozzy for her to read. I hope she didn't think it was too lame. ;; Anyways, see ya next chapter Mela-chan! **SasukeLover:** lol! I wouldn't have those pairings change for the universe. They're just so right for each other. **Mezumi Azuma:** LOL! Its ok. You just confused me a little with your changing of the names…LOL! Anyways, thanks for reading! **snow-leopard-demon24:** XD sorry it took so long! **Outsane:** I still think your sn rocks. XD Anyways, about the romanji for "are you ok/I'm fine" I was taught the Osaka way to romanize things. My Japanese teacher did it that way because that was where she grew up and obviously learned to speak. I also learned that there are more ways to romanize words. "Daisyoobu" is one of them. xD Anyway, thanks for reading! s**weetmaiden:** xD hai! Now I just gotta write the SECOND MOST HARDEST PART of this story…The Wedding…xD **gaaraismyluver:** lol! ARIGATOU! Yeah, finals sucked. History was a total nightmare…(shivers) I didn't have fun with that one at all...xP I hope you did well! **Magan:** BLAH! Finals are NO FUN! I'm SOOOOOOOO glad that they're all over and done with! HEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WONDERFUL SUMMER! **Tsuki-kage:** Aww, arigatou! You made my day, seriously! I thank you. I will most definitely check out that story you mentioned! **AnimexMusica:** I STILL can't believe you do that. Lol! Anyways, that's just awesome. Hope you liked this chapter! ;; **Raefire606:** xD mhmm! I didn't want her to find out all firsthand because I wanted her to see just how much Sasuke cares for her. But yeah, thanks for reading! **Kiyumi Nazuma:** LOL! Sorry for such a slow update…;; I'm glad you like it!


	10. Part 10

**Disclaimer:** I sadly do not own Naruto. If I did, then Sasuke would be back home in Konoha where he belongs!!!

Everyone, **_I'm SOOO sorry it's taken me this long to update!_** Over 4 months? JEEZ! You all must be ready to kill me now! ;;;

Anyway, I appreciate your support and thank you for voting! You shall have to read to see what happens because I'm not spoiling it here. XD (runs and hides) hehehe!

All right, here are a few things that I need to inform you guys of before I ultimately shut up and the chapter will begin!!

1. I'm _considering _changing the rating of this story. I originally had it set the way it is because I didn't want to have my story deleted for content earlier on in the beginning.

2. I've had TERRIBLE writer's block for MONTHS now and my summer was a challenging one. I've had other things aiding to my inability to get this chapter up, and I do apologize to you all. For those of you who know me personally, know that the circumstances for keeping me away from fan fiction were just and my reasoning is good. Again, I am sorry.

3. I will NOT be putting anything, umm, _naughty_ in this fic because well, it just doesn't seem like it would fit, you know? Besides, you will see why later on.

4. I APPRECIATE all of your reviews!!! I've decided to put this chapter as 12, because of all the people reviewing the posting for 10 and 11, even though I SAID not to. XD;;; Anyway, yeah.

* * *

NEXT CHAPTER!!!! WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**The Strength of the Heart**

**Part 10

* * *

**

Sakura opened her eyes.

The curtains lightly billowed in the cool morning breeze coming through her open window. She turned over onto her side, facing the window and feeling the cool air blow gently across her face. She drew a deep breath.

Today was the day of her huge bachelorette party Ino insisted on throwing for her.

Sakura sat up, rubbing her eyes with both fists. Mixed feelings filled her heart as she looked down at her left hand. Sasuke's engagement ring sparkled in the morning sunlight, reflecting in her green eyes.

_I can't believe it. _She thought to herself. Sakura's gaze turned to the window once more.

She was in her room, slowly thinking about the past several days.

Ino had insisted that she sleep in her own bed, as she and Sasuke weren't married _yet_, and therefore it would make the time spent together more precious as they rarely saw each other. Sakura had rolled her eyes and playfully slapped her friend on her shoulder. But seeing as Ino was her best friend, she had taken her advice to heart, and gone along with it.

In the meantime, the reception was the large main event of the post-wedding celebration. Ino had also said that this would be where the majority of the villagers would attend, as mainly just close friends and family were supposed to attend the actual wedding ceremony. The Holy Man had also suggested that the family shrine be the location of the ceremony. Ino had of course argued against this, saying that the Uchiha Gardens were a much more idealistic location for a wedding.

Both Sasuke and Sakura agreed.

Peeking out her window, Sakura's gaze came to rest upon a grand set-up, chairs being carefully placed in the soft grass, and a long red carpet being laid out in between the two rows of chairs. At the front, was the large fountain in which lovely red and white flowers hung down on both sides like a vine, (compliments of the Yamanaka's.) Sakura smiled faintly.

A soft knock sounded on her door, jerking her attention back to her room.

As of late, Ino had been coming over nearly every day to help with the set-up. The wedding reception would take place in the lower level of the Uchiha Main house, and because of that, Sakura had received a wake-up call every single morning precisely at 9am sharp.

Green eyes flicked over to the digital clock resting upon the TV across the room.

It read 7:45.

Getting up soundlessly, Sakura crept to the door, listening silently for any louder noises downstairs that might signify her friend and the workers coming early to work on the setup…

She heard nothing.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened the door, peering out through the small crack. Before she knew what happened, the door had slid open completely, a black blur entering and grabbing her around the waist. In an instant the door was closed again and Sakura found herself pressed up against the wall and felt an arm wrapped possessively around her waist and someone's breath tickling her neck.

She looked up, startled, groggy emerald meeting intense onyx.

"O-Ohayo." She whispered, trying to keep herself from trembling as Sasuke gently pushed them away from the wall. Sakura held her breath and closed her eyes.

She felt herself being turned around.

Sasuke buried his face in her hair, his arms wrapping around her small frame and molding their bodies together.

"Ohayo." He whispered in the shell of her ear.

Sakura drew in a deep breath, breathing in his scent and wrapping her arms around his neck as she hugged him back.

"Three more days." His husky voice said in her ear.

Sakura nodded, her head resting on his shoulder. Her eyes found the clock once more and she smiled.

"We still have about an hour before Ino gets here…" Her voice was playful, yet hesitant at the same time. Sasuke noted this, but said nothing. He bent slightly and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her to the bed.

"A whole hour huh?" He smirked playfully as he bent closer, brushing his lips against hers. "I'll take what I can get. I haven't seen you in days."

Sakura giggled.

It was the truth though. Ino had been keeping her busy for the past several weeks, planning out wedding details, organizing everyone and even getting the guys to get yukatas.

Sakura was put in charge of helping the workers set everything up outside, showing them exactly where everything should be placed, giving plenty of room for the Yamanakas to come in and set up their elaborate and gorgeous flower arrangements.

Which Ino hadn't let her see yet, by the way.

Sasuke was in charge of taking care of the reception and the catering. He didn't sound too enthusiastic when Naruto had gleefully suggested that he hire "Gramps" from Ichiraku to provide the food for the post-wedding ceremony.

Sasuke and Sakura had briefly seen each other, mainly in passing, and had time only for a quick peck on the cheek or a half hug before Ino hustled her away or Sasuke got called away by Neji, earning himself a smirk from the eldest Hyuuga.

Sakura snuggled up close to him and closed her eyes. Just being in his arms was more than enough for her.

"Sasuke-kun?" she whispered after a moment. He didn't reply. Sakura slowly turned to look at him.

He was fast asleep.

She smiled faintly, gently kissing him on the lips before cuddling deep into his possessive embrace.

* * *

Ino found them later on once she had come over. The happy couple-to-be were wrapped tightly in each other's arms, both sound asleep. Ino covered her mouth with her hand, giggling softly as she silently closed the door after peering in. 

_Sakura will kill me if I wake her up. I'll let them sleep…for now. _Ino thought to herself. A sly smile crossed her face then.

Sneaking back downstairs, Ino grabbed her camera that she was using to take photos for the photo documentary on the "great Uchiha wedding." Giggling silently to herself, she snuck back upstairs and slid the door open a fraction. She zoomed in on the slumbering couple, and quickly snapped a picture. She shut the door promptly once she heard movement inside. "Yes!" She nearly squeaked once she was back downstairs.

"What're you talking about?" Neji asked, coming up and looking over her shoulder. Ino smiled as she spun around, showing Neji the picture taken in digital. Neji smirked to himself.

"I want a copy of that. Uchiha won't be able to have anything on me now." Ino giggled. "You men are so bad." She said, a sly smile gracing her features again. Raising an eyebrow at her, Neji leaned up against the doorway. "Oh? And for what purpose do you have for keeping that picture?"

Ino grinned. "Don't ask me that."

* * *

A few hours later, Sakura woke to find the sun streaming through the open window. _Wait, open?_ The sleepy girl sat straight up in bed, hearing a groan beside her. Her eyes jerked over to the right side of her bed upon hearing the unaccustomed complaint of waking up so suddenly. "Sasuke-kun?" She whispered her eyes wide. 

**_Jeez, after not having him beside you for a little over a month, you sure do forget things easily._ **Inner Sakura said, yawning in protest too.

_Oh yeah, he came in early this morning…oh shit! What time is it???_

**_Look at the clock stupid._** Inner Sakura said, flopping back down and closing her eyes again.

Sakura's jade orbs found the clock once more and she saw that it was already pushing 11am. Her eyes widened as she found a note folded neatly by her bed. Getting up, Sakura picked up the note and carefully unfolded it.

Her emerald eyes widened as she found that the note wasn't just a piece of paper, but something written on a _picture._

It was taken a short while ago, while she and Sasuke were asleep. Sakura blushed heavily as she quickly read what the note said off to the side of the picture.

_Sakura,_

_Remember how a little while back you said that I couldn't get anything on you for blackmail?_

_How very wrong you were forehead. My demands are this: Get your lazy ass out of bed and come help!! Tell Sasuke to do the same, because Neji has personally asked for a copy of this picture. I will follow up on my demands if you two aren't downstairs within the hour._

_I love you forehead girl!_

_-Ino_

Sakura swallowed hard before jumping onto the bed shaking Sasuke awake.

"Sasuke-kun…" She said, her heart pounding rapidly against her chest. Deciding that it would most likely be rude to wake him, she crept to the bathroom, freshening up quickly and emerging fully dressed.

Stealing one last glance at her husband-to-be sound asleep, she smiled faintly before slipping out of the room noiselessly.

* * *

Ino was downstairs hustling about, sending attendants all over the place. Sakura's eyes widened in wonder and amazement as the ceremonial area was completely decorated in white and red. 

A giggle escaped her lips as her gaze fell upon Neji's group. He was holding an armful of black yukatas, and arguing with Naruto. As she approached, she could hear her blonde teammate's loud protests.

"There's no way in HELL you're getting me into one of those damn things!" The Hokage-to-be hollered.

Sakura snuck up next to him and linked her arm with his.

"What's wrong Naruto?" She asked a hint of a smile on her face.

Naruto jumped as he realized who it was.

"N-nothing Sakura-chan! Neji-teme and I were just having a discussion! Where have you been all day?"

Sakura grinned as she saw Neji's face turn red.

"Don't worry Neji, he will wear it." She said, patting Neji on the arm. The Hyuuga's glare softened, but only slightly.

"What?! What do you mean I'll wear it!?" Naruto blurted out loudly.

Sakura rolled her eyes. It was too early for all this.

"Naruto, this is probably one of the few favors I will ever ask of you. Sasuke-kun and I are getting _married_! It's the least you can do for your teammates, right? Be reasonable, it's not that bad. You wore something similar to Sandaime-sama's memorial, remember?"

Naruto looked downcast for a moment as all three silently paid a silent moment of respect to their deceased former Hokage.

"All right Sakura-chan, I'll do it. Just for you though. If Sasuke-teme says anything though, I'll pound his ass for it."

Sakura sighed, rolling her eyes. "I somehow highly doubt that Naruto, Sasuke-kun's going to be wearing the something of the same thing."

"Oh SAKURA-CHAN!!!" Sakura spun on her heel at the piercing voice that pointedly interrupted their conversation.

"You weren't supposed to see the decorations yet!!!" Ino whined, pulling Sakura away from the group and covering her friend's eyes. "And where the hell is Sasuke? I thought that picture would be enough to scare his ass out of bed!"

"Apparently you didn't think _enough_." A cold voice said from behind.

Neji smirked as Ino stiffened.

Sakura smiled. "Ohayo Sasuke-kun!" She said cheerfully, still blindfolded by the blonde's hand.

Sasuke moved forward, pulling his fiancé out of Ino's hold and steered her away, still being sure Sakura didn't see the decorations.

"If you'll excuse us, we have a meeting with the Holy Man. Sakura will be back in a few hours Ino." Sasuke added, seeing Ino open her mouth stubbornly to protest. He nodded once to Neji, and punched Naruto hard in the head.

"OI, TEME! What the hell was that for?!" Naruto shouted after them.

Sasuke smirked. "For being a dumbass." He replied, wrapping an arm around Sakura's waist.

Ino moved forward, a determined glare on her face.

"Sasuke, I really can't—"

"Let us go? Too bad. As I said, we have a meeting in five minutes. Come Sakura, we'll be late." His grip tightened around her and she blushed as she nodded.

"Hai, Sasuke-kun. Ino-chan, I'll see you later, ok?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Fine. Neji, don't you guys have a party to plan or something anyway?" Neji smirked as Sasuke threw him a questioning glance. Naruto grinned widely and threw an arm around Neji's neck.

"Yeah we do! Sasuke-teme, you go have fun with Sakura-chan. We'll take care of everything!"

Sasuke started to take a step towards Naruto, but Sakura stopped him.

"Please, can we just go Sasuke-kun?" She asked softly in his ear, gently tugging on the wide collar of his shirt. He smirked and looked down at his soon to be wife.

"Aa." He murmured, taking her hand in his and leading them away from the group.

* * *

As soon as they were clear of his house and out of the Uchiha Estate, Sasuke lead her off in a different direction, away from where the Holy Man lived. 

"Umm, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, resisting a little by tugging her hand against his pull.

He looked back at her, a smirk on his face.

"Come on." He said, gently pulling her towards him.

"But…where are we going? You said—"

"I know. But do you really think if I'd asked for you for the whole afternoon Ino would just let you go?"

Sakura chewed her lip a moment before responding.

"No." She stared at the ground for a moment before Sasuke gave her hand a light squeeze.

That was when he really felt a noticeable change on her hand. Her fingertips were smooth, having been scrubbed hard from all the years of training in the medical field. Her palms were rough, having wielded kunai and shuriken since before their academy days. His own were similar, but having less coarseness from using katon jutsus all of his life.

Which brought him currently to where he was now.

He brought them both to a halt at a lake. Very familiar grounds were across the water, however about 200 meters away. Sakura stared at him for a moment before her eyes found where they had just been not so long ago.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"Because there is something I want to teach you." He said, walking to the edge of the bank. Water sloshed lightly across his toes as he took a defensive stance.

"Watch." He commanded.

_Serpent, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger…_

"KATON! GOUKYAKUU NO JUTSU!"

A large ball of fire shot out of Sasuke's mouth, hovering just inches above the water's surface. It rippled out across the lake as Sasuke finally released the jutsu after a moment.

Sakura's eyes were observant, having seen her teammate use this particular jutsu several times in the years that she'd known him.

Sasuke smirked as he came back to her side, running his sleeve across the side of his mouth.

"Your turn." He stated simply.

Sakura jerked her widening green eyes up to his face.

"What!?" She nearly squeaked. "I-I can't! I-I'm not an Uchiha! I don't know how to wield fire style!"

Sasuke smirked as he came up next to her.

"Yes, you can." He said, his tone confident as he steered her towards the lake. "Second, you _will_ be an Uchiha in about three days; and third, it isn't all that hard."

He took her hands in his own as he faced her.

"This is what I want you to do." He spoke in a soft tone, reassuring her and easing her fears as he explained how to gather her chakra into her chest, and release it into a focused ball of flame.

"The seals aren't complicated. This jutsu is meant for use in relatively close combat. We don't have time for a complicated jutsu unless our opponent is incapacitated or immobile."

Sakura nodded, her quick mind taking in all the details instantly. She stepped up to the bank, closing her eyes as she ran through her photographic memory for the 6-sealed jutsu. Once her hands clasped together forming the last seal, she did as Sasuke instructed. She gathered her chakra to the top of her chest, imagining a large bubble and then releasing it.

"KATON! GOUKYAKUU NO JUTSU!"

Her typically light and sweet voice had transformed into a menacingly sharp voice that could send shivers down even the bravest of men's spines.

Sasuke's dark eyes watched in amazement as a large ball of fire flew out 10 feet from Sakura, hovering exactly where his had only moments before. Sakura couldn't hold the jutsu for long, however, and she released it after only a few seconds.

Turning to face him, she was breathing hard, but had a victorious look in her fierce emerald eyes.

"I did it." She said, smiling broadly.

Sasuke smirked. "You did." He said, wrapping her in a hug. "Congratulations." His words were soft, yet she could still hear a hint of pride in them.

Sakura could help herself. She beamed.

* * *

"Come on Forehead girl! You're never going to look hot unless you wear it!" Ino complained later on that evening. The two girls were sitting in Ino's room, attempting to get ready for Sakura's bachelorette party. 

"Besides…" Ino continued, a sly smirk on her face "I know Sasuke-kun will approve."

Sakura crossed her arms, turning away from, in her opinion, the hideous outfit Ino had laid out on the bed for her.

It was a short-_er_ skirt than what she was used to, along with a white halter top with the Uchiha crest on the left breast. _(Stop thinking dirty, it's like an emblem on a shirt. xD)_

The skirt was black, and _SHORT_. Ino had insisted that she get to style Sakura's hair up the way a model would. So now, Sakura's now shoulder-length hair was tied up in a loose bun, the few chunks of pink hanging down were curled around her cheeks, making her look older, and in Ino's opinion, hot.

Sakura blushed a darker shade of crimson, clashing terribly with her hair color when Ino pulled a pair of black stiletto heeled boots from her closet.

"Now, add these with the outfit and you'll be the hottest kunoichi in Konoha, after me, of course."

Both girls giggled.

But Sakura made no move to start getting dressed.

"I-Ino, I can't wear this…" She said softly, knowing full good and well that this party went against tradition and she didn't know how her fiancée would take to it.

"Sa-Sasuke-kun won't like it."

Ino rolled her eyes. "He's not going to be here." She stated matter-of-factly. "Neji-kun is seeing to that."

Sakura's eyes widened.

"Wait…Neji-_kun_?!" She asked incredulously.

Ino smiled as she threw a pillow at her best friend. "Not like that usuratonkachi!" She squealed, covering her face with her hands.

"Besides, Tenten would kill me."

Sakura snorted. "That she would." Her emerald eyes sparkled as she smiled at her best friend. She knew Ino was trying to ease her anxieties over her marriage. And she was grateful.

"Sakura." Sakura looked up after a moment at the blonde kunoichi.

"You know Sasuke's not going to let anything happen to you." She said softly. Sakura smiled slightly, still not looking at the outfit. She knew with all her heart that she would be safe with him, that he was different from her father, in that he was not a pig who took advantage of his strength and used it against weaker people.

Weak. That feeling left a bad taste in her mouth. Sakura finally tore her eyes away and started to get up. Already resolving on something.

"What time does this party start tonight?" She asked, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. Ino rested a finger on her chin as she thought back to her and Tenten's plotting discussion earlier.

"Seven pm sharp." She stated, standing too. She pointed to the outfit on the bed.

"Go get dressed! The girls will be here any moment!" Ino giggled.

Sakura rolled her eyes as she snatched the clothing and moved towards the bathroom.

"If you mess up your hair I'm gonna kill you!!" Ino called cheerfully after her.

Sakura smiled. "Hn." She murmured.

Ino grinned. "You're sounding more and more like an Uchiha by the day."

xxx

* * *

**A/N:** OK!!!!!! I'm leaving it here, and am working on the next chapter. I wanted to at least get this out for you all because I know I've been a bad author and not updated since May.../ 

I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOO VERY SORRY!!!!!!!!!

Leave a review if you want! I'm working on the next chapter starting tomorrow. I think I've got some extra time. Hehehe!!!

Ja mata ne!

♥ Uchiha Sakura


	11. Unlucky Number

**AUTHOR'S RANT:**

It is on a disappointed and disgusted note that I bring bad news to you all.

I have come across TWO other fics written by TWO different authors that have now taken scenes from Strength of the Heart used them in their own fics and taken credit for them. I'm most definitely **NOT** happy.

I understand, everyone that you have been painstakingly waiting for me to update this story, as well as the other ones I currently have labeled "In-progress."

What I have NOT relayed to you all is that for the past 6-8 months I've had a family emergency. I lost my grandfather in mid-November and family stress as well as the burden from a fresh semester in school and annoying managers at work have been keeping me from writing.

I apologize here and now.

From this point forward, however, until I see that people have STOPPED stealing ideas and bits and pieces from my stories, I will be placing Strength of the Heart on a current hiatus. I do not know the rules this site has set up regarding plagiarism, but any DECENT author should know that such acts are highly frowned upon. You should take PRIDE in your **own** work, knowing that your idea, story, plotline and character development are your OWN, not someone else's. Had those two author's given credit where it is due, I would not be posting this. That's part of writing. You learn to develop it as you go along. As silly as it seems, I take pride in my own work, because I enjoy writing. I honestly don't know why other people would not.

I am **EXTREMELY** irritated that this has happened. Until such time that I deem myself able to continue this story, I will not be updating it anytime soon.

And to those two authors who I have found so far using my work: I hope you find it somewhere in your hearts to see the wrong that you have done, and how highly disappointed I am in seeing what you've done as well.

I will be posting a notice soon, as soon as I get through the next convention on whether or not I will be finishing this story.

_Uchiha Sakura_


	12. Part 11

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or any of the characters or plots from the manga or anime. Masashi Kishimoto-san does. But oh how happy I would be if it were me…

See end of chapter for A/N's.

Please enjoy.

* * *

**The Strength of the Heart**

**Part 11**

* * *

Sakura slammed the door to the Yamanaka household on her way out. It was nothing intentional on her part, mind you, just a vacuum with the wind that caught the door, resulting in it closing sharper than need be. 

Her elaborate curls and elegant hairstyle blew in the gentle but chilly breeze of the early evening. It wasn't cold enough yet to wear a jacket during the day, but when the wind picked up in the evening, one might find that they would shiver slightly from the chill without one.

As Sakura was doing now.

But she bit her lip, ignoring the cold. She was a kunoichi. She could handle it.

Her thoughts wandered as her feet led her to the place where she knew she could find peace. The offering she held in her hands gave her some reassurance that she could indeed find the solitude she so desperately had been craving ever since Ino, Temari and Tenten had begun to make such a fuss over her wedding.

The walk was short, her already quick pace getting her to her destination in a short time. Ino said she would be angry if she was late.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura caught a sense of something in the air. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but whatever it was, it couldn't be pleasant. Leaping into the trees surrounding the ancient slab of marble, Sakura waited patiently, masking her chakra enough to hide from whatever it was that had been following her.

After a few moments, the feeling disappeared.

Eyes narrowing ever so slightly, she jumped down from her perch, but remained in the shadows. Something was amiss, but she wasn't about to let her guard down, even in this sacred place.

After several moments of complete stillness, she decided that it must just be her anxiety messing with her mind. Sakura stepped out of the shadows. Making her way towards the Shinobi Memorial, she knelt down before the base. Drawing the three sticks of incense from her pocket, she lit and mounted them in the small stands at the base of the memorial. As she did so, she ran her fingers over the names.

"Fugaku-san," Sakura kept her voice low. "I will be becoming part of your family in two more days. Please help Sasuke-kun have the confidence and strength he needs to restore…" she somewhat choked on the next word.

"_Our_ clan."

Her nimble fingers traced over the name next to Uchiha Fugaku's.

"Mikoto-san, please lend me the strength that you had to become a strong matriarch for the Clan. I will do my absolute best to make you both proud, I promise."

Tears had begun to sting her eyes as Sakura lit the last stick of incense. Emerald orbs came to rest upon one last name on the stone.

"Haruno Hikaru." She whispered, her mother's name creating a lump that stuck in her throat. From under her shirt, Sakura slowly pulled out an object of extreme importance to her.

The last picture she had of her mother.

Granted, the precious item was not glamorous or shiny. Nor was it even in perfect condition. It was torn straight down the middle. The other half of the photograph had been burned while Sakura had been practicing her newest technique Sasuke had taught her.

Amongst all the hustle and bustle in the Uchiha home, Sakura had managed to keep this one thing a secret, from everyone.

Her lips kissed the glass of the frame she'd placed the photo in to keep it safe. "Aisheteru, Okaa-san." She whispered softly, setting the picture down at the base of the memorial. With trembling hands she lit the last stick of incense, tears streaming down her cheeks now.

"Please watch over us, Okaa-san. I want you to be proud of me, more than anything."

Closing her eyes, Sakura ran her fingers over her mother's name before both of her hands came together, her head bowed in a silent prayer.

The wind rustled the leaves in the trees, and from afar Sakura could hear music playing. So the celebration had begun without her already? She sighed. _It _is_ an Uchiha wedding, after all. The whole village must know by now…_

She did her best to hide a smile as she imagined Naruto getting all of the male shinobi together for one last night to celebrate Sasuke's bachelor party. Her eyes snapped open at sudden remembrance.

"Kuso! Ino-chan!"

She shot to her feet, blowing a kiss over her shoulder at the memorial before preparing to take off running as fast as she could. Sakura barely moved away from the training area before four pairs of feet landed in her path.

"Haruno Sakura…" One of them sneered.

A pit dropped into the bottom of her stomach. _Shit._

"Yes?" She asked her voice pleasant but she remained cautious.

"You will be lucky if you live to see the next sunrise."

Emerald eyes narrowed.

* * *

"Oi! Teme!!!!" Naruto shouted over the crowd of people gathered in the room. His cerulean eyes scanned the large mass of people in the area for a sharp contrasting figure clad in all black. He grinned widely as he found the "Man of the hour" sitting hunched over a table in the corner of the room, glaring at all who approached. 

Naruto marched right up to him, two drinks in hand. He slammed one down on the table directly in front of Sasuke, smiling widely. "Come on teme, celebrate with us!" He cheered, plunking himself down in a chair across from the brooding Uchiha.

Sasuke glared hard at the nuisance in front of him. "I see no point of this ridiculous display of behavior." He said bitterly, raising his head slightly to glare with both eyes at his blond teammate. "My father would have hardly approved at such a breach in tradition."

The smile faded from Naruto's features.

"Come on Sasuke. Don't go all stick in the ass on us. You're starting to sound a little too much like Hyuuga." From across the room, Neji glared at the Hokage-to-be.

"This is your bachelor party. The least you can do is put on a smile—" he paused for a split second as he caught a glance at the infamous Uchiha Death Glare "_Grimace_ for us all. You're going to be the Head of the Uchiha Clan soon. There'll be plenty of time for tradition then."

Sasuke rested his chin on his folded hands once more.

"Sorry." He murmured after a long moment.

Naruto quirked an eyebrow up. He leaned forward in his seat, slinging one arm onto the table and propping his other up on the back of his seat. "Stop worrying so much about Sakura-chan, teme. She's with Ino and the others. She's fine."

_She's fine._

_She's fine._

_She's Konoha's finest. _

_She's fine._

_She's fine.__  
_

_**Yeah right.**_

Sasuke looked over at the guys in their year, all laughing at something. It was only then that he realized that Nara Shikamaru had made a winning move in a strategy game against Kakashi. Their former sensei had his nose buried in his newest book, reading without much interest in the game at all.

"Tell you what, Kakashi." Shikamaru said. "You win this round, and I don't steal your precious novel for everyone here to see."

That got Kakashi's attention.

"Oi. I doubt you could get this even if you tried." Kakashi chuckled behind his mask light heartedly. "Why all of a sudden the challenge for me? Where is Konoha's Most Eligible Bachelor?" He asked, smiling widely.

Sasuke groaned and kicked out of his comfortable position to glare more pointedly at his former sensei.

"Sasuke-teme's not had enough alcohol yet." Naruto proclaimed to every witness within earshot. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

The Prosperity Gods _really _weren't on his side this evening, were they?

Genma came over and roughly wrapped an arm around Sasuke's neck, all but dragging the young Uchiha over to the bar. "Tamaki! Get this man something his mother would be floored with!" He shouted to the bartender. The man behind the bar smiled knowingly before nodding.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the older Jounin, but Genma just chuckled good heartedly, giving Sasuke a hard but good natured thump on the back. He sighed before dejectedly sinking onto one of the barstools. His gaze turned to the rest of the party's patrons. Most were gathered around an older man in his late fifties, long white hair reaching down his back and a large spiky metal head plate adorning his forehead.

The man in front of him was poor old Ebisu. Sandaime's former assistant. The two were engaged in some sort of drinking contest.

Jiraiya smirked as the men around them chanted an encouragement, which gradually grew louder as each second passed. Jiraiya raised his cup of sake, smirking in Ebisu's direction, before very brashly tossing the alcohol down. The men around them cheered.

Ebisu swallowed and nervously pushed his dark glasses up his nose. He cleared his throat and made an elaborate display of pouring himself another cup of sake. Both of his eyebrows lifted as he stared challengingly at Jiraiya, who only leaned back in his seat, one eyebrow raised in response.

The men around them began chanting, but not as loud as they had done for Jiraiya.

Ebisu raised his cup in the air, indicating to all around them that he was about to rise to Jiraiya's challenge. He tossed it down, holding his cup just above his lips as he shuddered…

…before slamming the ceramic dish back onto the table so hard it cracked.

The cheering continued.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

_Idiots._

A soft thud to his right brought his attention out of his tunneled thoughts. He turned his attention back to where the bartender was, only to see the man wiping a mug dry with a very worn out towel. The man called Tamaki pointed with his head to the drink that was now resting in front of Sasuke.

"Hn." He murmured, his usual response to all things annoying him.

_Annoying._

That was it.

He took one quick swig of his drink before setting it back down on the counter. It tasted sweet, and he made a face. He hated sweet things. All except for one.

"Oi, dobe."

Naruto appeared out of nowhere a half second later. Sasuke was already at the door, slipping his shoes on and hugging his jacket around his shoulders. "I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back. You all…" He gestured to where Ebisu was now shaking in his seat, before he passed out a moment later.

Completely out cold.

"Enjoy yourselves." Sasuke finished.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Sasuke-teme, I told you not to—"

"I'm not. I need to go for a walk to clear my head. Too much sake." He let himself stagger a bit to play it up, and pointing to the beverages littering the counter of the bar.

Naruto grinned widely, already a little incapacitated himself. He took the bait unknowingly and raising his hand in farewell. "You go walk it off then teme. Make sure you come back in the end! Kaka-sensei has something he said he wanted to give you."

Sasuke smirked. "Hn."

He disappeared in an instant.

* * *

She leapt high over the razor sharp blade of a kodachi as it was swung towards her throat. 

Dodging a kick to the stomach, she flipped backwards, narrowly missing the blade that was swinging back around to stab her in the heart. It missed her by a narrow two inches, but sliced off a few locks of her pink tresses.

_Oh Ino's gonna kill me now for sure…_

A sharp kick behind her knees snapped her attention back after a moment's distraction.

She felt something sting in her shoulder and found that she hadn't dodged the shuriken thrown at her completely. It sliced through her upper left arm, leaving a shallow clean cut that bled freely.

"Kuso." Sakura whispered. Her emerald eyes darted around, surveying her surroundings.

She had no weapons on her, so her best bet in this proximity was taijutsu. She would need to keep them busy enough so that they couldn't use any more distractions to break through her defense.

She had to hold out.

"What do you assholes want?" She snapped, knowingly aggravating them more.

Instead of a reply she got a nice hard punch in the face. Sakura reeled with the punch, using the borrowed momentum to land into a handstand, swinging both legs around in a powerful double kick that sent two of the men flying.

"Your father shouldn't have had to go down like he did. He was a well-respected member of ANBU as well as the village. You ruined that all for him you little brat." One of the masked men snarled, drawing kunai in between his fingers.

The one who had spoken chose that moment to attack. His eyes, barely visible through the mask he was wearing, glinted maliciously in the soft moonlight. Sakura clenched her fists tightly. It was then that she felt the cool metal of the ring Sasuke had given to her not so long ago. It renewed her strength, her anger getting the better of her as she leapt into the air at the last second, avoiding the charging nin. She flipped herself around in time to perfectly execute a round house kick to the top of the Nin's spine, snapping it clean from his spinal cord. He screamed with one last breath, and landed in a crushed heap on the dirt ground.

Another one came at her, shouting angrily. Sakura's eyes widened, before sudden inspiration dawned on her. She disappeared, leaping into the air and performing hand seals for the newest jutsu she'd learned.

"KATON: GOUKYAKUU NO JUTSU!"

A large ball of flame erupted from her lips and engulfed a ten foot radius around her attackers. Screams could be heard as the men who had assaulted her were caught completely off-guard.

Sakura landed gracefully on her hands. She pushed off the ground, putting several feet between herself and her remaining two opponents.

She must have smiled because a moment later, she felt malcontent approaching from behind. She whirled around, side-stepping the thrust of a kodachi aimed at her heart. Her eyes narrowed as her other opponent began a series of fast hand seals. Thinking quickly, Sakura powered chakra to her fist, ducking low as a wave of kunai came at her.

_Idiots._

Her fist connected with the ground with a loud _crunch._ The men's shouts of surprise left a smirk on her face.

As she slowly stood from her crouched position, Sakura surveyed the area. The ground was sliced up into a small crater; the two ninja who had been attacking her had the misfortune of underestimating her abilities.

But what bothered her the most was the fact that they were associates of her father. A slight fear gripped her enough to distract her. Before she knew what was happening, a blade had flown up and pierced her through the stomach. She stared down incredulously at the tip of the kodachi protruding from her midsection…then over her shoulder to stare at the bloodied Nin standing just inches behind her.

He ripped his weapon from her, Sakura crying out in pain as the serrated edges tore her flesh. In a flash his blade was at her throat. Kicking her to her knees Sakura landed hard on a large pile of split earth. She could see the other shinobi, who had fallen in her trap of death. Blood was all over the place where he had died, and her blood was now flowing from the deep wound in her stomach. She coughed once, feeling a fiery sensation beginning to spread.

"You shall pay for what damage you have done to our village." The last remaining shinobi spat, his free hand gripping the once beautiful locks of rose on top of her head. Sakura closed her eyes, willing herself to keep fighting. She wasn't going to go down this easily.

Not future _Uchiha_ Sakura.

Both hands clenched into fists as the ninja sliced his blade over her throat, missing her jugular by mere centimeters. She jumped backwards, kicking her opponent hard in the torso and snapping a few of his ribs. He shouted in pain and fury as he tried to come at her again.

Sakura dodged another punch and this time, flew through the hand seals for the second and final time.

"KATON: GOUKYAKUU NO JUTSU!"

The ninja's screams could be heard for miles around.

Sakura landed in a heap on the ground. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she tried to stay conscious. She knew she was in trouble, feeling blood beginning to gush out of the open wound fast.

Pushing herself up, she raced away from the battle field as fast as she possibly could.

_Kami-sama, please help me._ She silently prayed.

Stopping abruptly, Sakura shut her eyes as a wave of dizziness washed over her. She knew she had to act fast. Who knew how many more allies her father had? These men couldn't be allowed to walk around Konoha freely, most especially since the Uchiha wedding was tomorrow. The village was highest priority right now.

Gathering chakra to her hands, she flew through several seals quickly before swiping her thumb over her open cut. Sakura slammed her palm onto the ground, crying "Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

A large poof of smoke appeared and Sakura looked down to see a medium sized slug in the place where her hand had been just seconds before. "Katsu." She said softly, eyeing her surroundings warily. "I need your help. Go tell Tsunade-sama that my father has friends." She rasped.

"Hai, Sakura-sama." Katsu replied in an equally quiet tone. She scrutinized Sakura for a moment.

"You'd better take care of yourself quick. Your blood loss will dry you up faster than if someone poured salt on me!!"

Sakura managed a faint smile.

"Please hurry." She whispered.

Katsu disappeared in a _poof._

Sakura shut her eyes, leaning heavily against the tree before collapsing altogether.

It was then that she felt another's presence drawing steadily near.

"Kuso…" She murmured, her body finally shutting down on her as she dropped hard to the ground.

* * *

He was running now. Faster and much more fluidly than before, now that he had left the proximity of the small bar the older shinobi had reserved as the location for his bachelor party. 

She was in trouble. He could just _feel_ it.

He didn't stop, even as the sense of danger grew with every passing moment. He caught the scent of blood and his eyes narrowed. Within an instant his Sharingan was active and he was tearing through the trees, following where his every instinct was leading him.

Sasuke dropped to the ground, staying out of the many openings in the trees where moonlight poured through.

A slight figure was slumped over several yards away. They had slowly begun to sit up, bathed in moonlight. Sasuke caught sight of the mess of pink locks, unevenly cut now and tousled about over her emerald green eyes.

The pink clashed horribly with the bright red color covering her front…

"SAKURA!"

He was at her side in an instant, lifting her chin to gaze into her pain-filled eyes.

She cried out as the action pulled the cut on her throat open wider, nerves already in a frenzy spazzing to a whole new level.

"Oh Sakura, no! Sakura!" Sasuke cried as her eyes slid closed, her chakra filled hand falling on his own that still gently held her chin. "I'm okay…I think." She whispered softly. So softly that it might have fallen on deaf ears.

But Sasuke heard it.

The chakra in her hand slowly faded and died away as she felt her body start to go limp. "I tried...to stop...the b-blood...flow." She breathed, her breath coming in quiet gasps. "I... think I...lost...too much." She whispered.

Sasuke's grip on her tightened. Without thinking, he scooped her up into his arms, feeling her shivering. He gently set her down on her own two feet for a moment as he stripped himself of his jacket and wrapped it tightly around her. He had her in his arms once more, taking off as quickly as he could, and racing towards the hospital.

When he arrived, things were not what he'd expected. Tsunade seemed like she'd been impatiently waiting for him. The Hokage was leaning over the receptionist's desk, pulling out a file and flipping through a few of the pages when Sasuke tore through the entrance, a ravaged look about him.

"Uchiha. Bring her with you." Tsunade said, gesturing for him to follow.

He did so without question.

He brought Sakura to an exam room where he gently set her on the table. The cut across her throat was not life-threatening, but the wound to her stomach was, as well as the amount of blood loss.

Tsunade brushed several strands of pink from her sweaty brow.

"Uchiha, your blood type is AB positive, correct?" She asked brusquely. He nodded without question.

"Do you consent to donating blood to your future wife?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, just stick me already."

Tsunade smiled tightly.

"Good. Go wash yourself up quickly. I'm going to need to do a bedside transfusion. She's lost too much already." Sasuke nodded again, getting up from leaning against the wall and heading towards the sink in the corner of the room.

Tsunade meanwhile summoned a few medics to her side as she tended to Sakura. The wounds her apprentice had sustained were nothing to fret about. It took about 10 minutes for Tsunade to successfully remove the poison from the wound to Sakura's midsection. The only remaining mark remaining was the nasty bruise forming below her right eye. She gently set the bone back into place before engulfing her hand in healing chakra.

When Sasuke had returned to her side, he was told to lay on a gurney that had been brought to the room. As he did so, Tsunade yanked his sleeve up above his elbow. Gently slapping the veins at the inner joint to increase blood flow, she swabbed the skin with alcohol before slipping a rather large needle into his arm.

Sasuke ignored the sharp pain that shot up his arm. His eyes were focused on Sakura and Sakura alone.

Her breathing was shallow and her face a deathly pale.

He began to feel dizzy, as first one pint was taken. When Tsunade saw that he could stand to give a little more, she took another one and a half.

Sasuke fought the fog of unconsciousness as he watched Sakura's color slowly start to return. Her breathing evened out, and her lips parted as a soft moan was released. Sasuke's heart leapt into his throat, relief washing over him like a tidal wave.

Tsunade had pulled the needle from him and bandaged his arm up tightly.

"Rest for a while, Uchiha. You two will be kept here for the night. I'll release you both in the morning."

Sasuke nodded, sitting up a little. "Can I please…stay with her?" He asked.

Tsunade nodded, pressing a finger to her lips. Using a cool wet cloth she lightly dabbed Sakura's forehead, cleaning away the sweat and dirt. When she was done, she pushed Sasuke's gurney closer to where Sakura lay.

"Just rest now." She said quietly. "The danger has passed."

The door to the room closed with a soft click.

Sasuke's hand found Sakura's and he gave it a gentle squeeze. Bringing it to his lips, he kissed her knuckles softly. "I love you, Uchiha Sakura." His voice was soft, as he finally let darkness consume him.

* * *

She pushed her way through the crowds of people in the streets. The celebration was large; nearly all of the male populace was there, enjoying themselves at Sasuke's Bachelor party. Several men sent hoots and cat-calls after the fierce blonde woman as she tersely forced her way through. 

Her fiery blue eyes scanned the crowd of swaggering patrons, too intoxicated by their beverages to really notice the newest addition to the party. Finding her target, Yamanaka Ino stalked forward, snatching up the blonde man from the bar and shaking him violently.

"You!" She shouted. "Where the hell is he?!"

Naruto blinked dumbly for a few seconds, the red tinges on his cheeks a dead giveaway. He stared at her a moment longer before he broke out into a wide cheesy smile. "Inooooo-PIG! Glaaaaad yoooouuu could maaaaake it!" He slurred with some difficultly as he leaned heavily on her shoulder.

"Where is Sasuke?" She asked, coldly ignoring the light jibe Naruto had tossed at her by using her nickname. Lucky for him, she happened to be good friends with a certain Hyuuga.

Naruto smiled stupidly up at her once more before he fell against her, dead to the world and passed out.

Groaning and rolling her eyes, Ino struggled to pull his dead weight against her to haul him to a booth. Suddenly, the weight lifted as if it were nothing. Surprised, Ino jerked her head up to stare deeply into the eyes of none other than Hyuuga Neji.

Blushing a pretty shade of crimson, she backed away half of a step. "T-Thank you, Neji-san." She said, as Neji deftly hauled Naruto's limp form up and not so gently tossing him onto one of the nearest booth benches.

"He'll wake in the morning feeling that headache." He muttered quietly, before turning back to the blonde kunoichi.

"You were looking for Uchiha, yes?"

Ino nodded, her anger almost completely forgotten.

Neji smirked. "He left about two hours ago, I believe. Searching for your best friend."

Ino's eyes widened more than a fraction. "I _told_ her not to be late! And here she is off gallivanting with her soon-to-be husband!!!" Ino fumed, pacing the room a few times before angrily brushing loose strands of blonde from her eyes. "Oh I'm so going to murder that girl!"

Ino turned to storm out, but a hand shot out to grip her shoulder tightly. Ino jerked her head around to meet a lavender-icy glare. She shivered.

"Don't be so quick to assume, Ino." Neji spoke in a low tone that would send grown men scampering.

She nodded slowly, never taking her wide blue eyes off of the Hyuuga. "If you are insisting on finding her tonight, I would go speak with the Hokage." Neji said, relinquishing his hold on her.

Ino looked at him questionably.

"She was seen racing to the hospital not so long ago."

Ino's eyes widened in horror. "And Sasuke?" She whispered.

"At the hospital."

Ino didn't need further encouragement. She nodded once to Neji, silently thanking him as she raced out the door once more. Her feet carried her through the streets as fast as she could go. Her heart raced and her blood pounded in her veins as adrenaline urged her even faster.

_Please be all right Sakura._

* * *

_Sakura_

She frowned in her sleep as someone called her name. "Five more minutes Ino; I swear I'll get up…" She grumbled in her sleep.

_Sakura, open your eyes right now young lady!_

Her eyes jerked open. She knew that voice. It was one that she hadn't heard in some years though. Tears swelled in her eyes as she weakly looked up into the bright viridian eyes of her mother.

_Good morning, Sakura dear. _ Her mother said, lightly brushing hair from her daughter's eyes. _I was worried you might not wake._ Her voice grew serious as she frowned slightly.

Sakura looked around her, but she did not recognize where she was. "Kaa-san, what's—?" She could not finish her sentence as she looked up to see her mother pressing a finger to her lips.

_Time is short, my darling. You barely survived that assault the other night. I want you to be much more careful from now on, is that clear?_

Sakura nodded, recognizing the old familiar edge in her mother's voice. It was there whenever she had scolded her as a child and it was there now, reminding Sakura of times already passed. Belligerent tears had worked their way out of her eyes and had begun to stream down her cheeks.

Swallowing hard to lessen the lump rising in her throat, she spoke quietly, "I'm sorry, Kaa-san."

Her mother's gaze softened. _For what, my precious child? _

Sakura lost her grip on her well-conceived control and burst into tears. "F-For no-not being a-able to s-save you!"

Haruno Hikaru's eyes hardened and she glared at something over Sakura's shoulder as she knelt next to Sakura's bed. She took her daughter's hands in her own, pulling them away from Sakura's face.

_Sakura. Look at me. _She cupped an eternal hand on her daughter's cheek to lift her face to meet her gaze. _It was not you fault that I did not make it. Your father and I had taken on a mission that was too much for just the two of us to handle alone. Your father thought other-wise, however, and almost flat-out ordered Tsunade-sama to give it to us. Him being the leading ANBU captain in Konoha at the time thought that his abilities combined with mine could handle the mission. _

She paused as she watched her daughter take in this new information.

_I was wounded badly while we were retreating. We had completed the mission successfully, but it was at the expense of my life as well as your father's. He killed a few people I'm not so sure were targets, and by the time we'd arrived home in Konoha, I'd already lost too much blood. _

_It was not within your ability, Sakura, to heal me. You did the right thing by going to get Tsunade-sama. _

Sakura had stopped crying at that point, but tears continued to stream down her cheeks silently. Her mother gently wiped the tears away before pulling her 19-year old daughter in a tight embrace.

_I love you, Pinky._ She said softly, running her fingers through her daughter's rosette locks and smiling proudly. _I'm so sorry your father acted the way he did. He is now suffering the consequences for his atrocious actions. Fear not, my dearest. You _are_ safe. _She smiled warmly at Sakura as she pulled away, her hand lingering on Sakura's cheek. _I'm so very proud of how strong you have become. You will be a fine Matriarch to the Uchiha Clan. _Pride seemed to fill her voice, as it shone brightly in her eyes.

Sakura smiled weakly. "A-Arigatou, Kaa-san." She whispered softly.

_Sakura, you have the strength you need to do whatever your heart desires in this world. Keep your heart light and open, honey. This young Sasuke fellow is going to be a good husband for you. He will take care of you. He's already proven to me, as well as his mother and father, that he is fully capable and ready to continue their legacy. Trust him, Sakura dear. He will protect you and care for you for the rest of his life. Young Sasuke-san is a good person. He will never hurt you. _

The tears had receded, and Sakura smiled, a feeling of security relaxing all fears and previous inhibitions of hers and Sasuke's relationship.

Sakura's mother seemed to brighten at this. _Now, this brings me to my last words of wisdom. Love, with all of your heart. With every decision you make, never regret. Someday honey, I want you to be able to look back at your life with pride, because you have done so much in your lifetime that most will never do. You are a strong, courageous young woman Sakura. Never change, understood?_

Sakura nodded, her eyes never leaving her mother's face. She wanted to memorize it and keep it with her forever. A moment to last forever.

"I love you, Kaa-san." She whispered.

_And I love you, my little Cherry Blossom. You need to wake up now. There is a gorgeous young man waiting for you. Be happy, Sakura-chan. _ Her mother leaned in, kissing her lightly on her forehead. _We'll always be watching over you all._

Sakura felt her eyelids growing heavy again

…and then a tremendous amount of pain centered around her midsection.

She cried out in shock and agony.

* * *

Sasuke's eyes were open. He had been awake for sometime now. The sun had begun to rise, bringing a fresh new morning for the village of Konohagakure. He sighed deeply, forcing his anxiety to the back of his mind where he could worry about it later. 

It had been two days.

Two days since the celebration before he was to be married.

Two days since Sakura had been attacked.

He turned around in the private hospital room to see the inanimate figure lying on the bed. Her hair had been flattened by the pillow, no longer as messy as it had been. The curls had fallen out and the color was flat. Her ashen face remained blank, as it had been for the past two days. Her breathing was normal, and for that, Sasuke was thankful.

But she had yet to wake.

Worry began creeping back up in his mind and he promptly snapped his thoughts to a different subject.

Sasuke sank into the chair next to the window, his head resting in his hands. A few moments of silence passed by, before he heard an agonized cry.

His head jerked up to see the figure on the bed stirring. He was at her side instantly, taking both of her hands in his own. Her soft crying continued.

"Sakura"

She whimpered.

"Sakura…"

"S-Sasuke?" She whispered softly, her eyes barely opening. Try as she might, she struggled to focus on his face. "I-it hurts."

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Do you want me to go get Tsunade?"

One of Sakura's hands gripped his as tightly as she could manage. "N-no. Don't leave, p-please?" Her voice cracked. He nodded, releasing one of his hands from his tight grip to gently brush strands of pink from her face.

Sakura closed her eyes once more, taking a deep breathe and swallowing. Her throat was drier than the desserts of Suna.

As if he'd read her mind, Sasuke silently held up a glass of water before her. He gently slipped a hand behind her head to help her drink. Sakura's eyes opened as the fresh water entered her mouth. She drank deeply, gulping down the cool liquid as quickly as she could.

"Better?" He asked, taking the glass away and setting on the bedside table.

Sakura nodded slowly, a grateful look in her eyes.

Just then, the door burst open to reveal a very loud, very obnoxious future Rokudaime. "SAKURA-CHAN!!!!!!!!" He shouted, bounding towards her, his blue eyes wide with relief and concern. He pulled her up into his arms in a fierce embrace.

She did her best not to cry out this time, she really did. But Naruto's grip was painfully tight and her body felt like she'd been pummeled by Tsunade's punches a million times over.

"Na-ruto, please…" She whimpered, trying unsuccessfully to pry his arms away.

SMACK.

Naruto released her instantly, grabbing instead the back of his head. "Sasuke-teme! Dammit! That _hurt_!!!"

Sasuke smirked.

Sakura groaned and rolled over as she fell back against the bedding. Her stomach hurt, a _lot._ With a hateful glare at their blonde teammate, Sakura buried her face into her pillow, releasing a soft groan.

"Naruto, I think you should leave for a little while." A new voice came from the doorway. "Uchiha, you too."

Both boys looked up to see Tsunade standing in the entrance, a clipboard in hand and a worried frown etched onto her face. Naruto pouted, crossing his arms. "But she just woke up baa-chan!" He whined.

_THWACK_.

"ITAI!" Naruto screamed, holding his head once more, nursing a bump rising to match the other on his scalp too.

"You can come see her later. Until then, I need you both to leave."

Naruto _hmpfed_ discontentedly but finally stormed out. Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the remaining Uchiha. She said nothing as she watched him give Sakura's shoulder a brief squeeze, silently telling her that he'd be back soon. Her apprentice seemed to nod slightly, not looking up to meet his gaze, but softly cupping his hand before he relinquished his grip.

As soon as the door closed Tsunade walked business-like into the room. Sakura found herself wrapped up in the arms of her sensei, feeling a bone-crushing grip holding her in a tight embrace.

"Shishou, I'm fine." She said quietly.

"Sakura, you were nearly dead when he brought you in. Do you know how lucky you are that Sasuke had an acceptable blood type? You might not have survived."

A shiver went up her spine and she was silent for a moment.

"So, you're saying that I now —"

"You now have Uchiha blood flowing in your veins." Tsunade said softly.

Sakura felt herself smile.

"Guess that makes me almost official, doesn't it Shishou?" She giggled quietly, before wincing at another sharp pain in her midsection.

"Lift your shirt." Tsunade ordered, pushing her back by her shoulder. Sakura complied, but with some reluctance.

The frown on Tsunade's face wasn't good sign.

"I'm ordering you to stay at home until this fully heals, do you understand me?" She asked her voice stern. "You are being placed under the care of your soon-to-be husband. Not a peep about this either, or else I'll tell him about your secret application to take the ANBU exams."

Sakura's eyes were wide.

"Shishou that's not fair! You know I can take care of myself!"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Answer me."

Sakura's eyes dropped away from her sensei's face. The motherly-ness was gone from Tsunade's voice now. This was the Hokage she was now talking to. She could feel her cheeks heating up with anger and the frustrated tears beginning to burn her eyes as she finally murmured,

"Hai, Tsunade-sama."

The Godaime smiled slightly.

"Now Sakura-chan, we must discuss the contingency plans for your wedding."

Sakura's eyes shot open.

Mother Goose was back.

"Can we still have it?!" She asked, sitting up much too quickly. She cried out and shut her eyes tightly until the spasm of pain passed.

Tsunade glared at her as she passed Sakura a small paper cup full of water and two tablets. Once her apprentice swallowed them down, she continued. "Security has been tightened, especially amongst the elites. We have arrested six shinobi so far who have been suspected of connections with your father. As it turns out, he was in deeper than we thought."

Sakura's jaw had slackened slightly, her sea foam orbs growing deeper as they widened.

"The great Uchiha Wedding ceremony will commence in two days' time. Until then, you are restricted to your room in the Uchiha household. Do I make myself clear?"

Sakura nodded, her hands clenching into fists.

"Good. If they're not out ripping each other to shreds, shall I send the boys back in?"

Sakura didn't respond. Her only action that was any indication that she hadn't fallen back asleep was the slight shaking of her shoulders.

_She's not happy with the arrangements. But I cannot allow anything to happen to her. Not like before. Nothing will happen right under my nose. I'm sorry…Sakura._

The door closed softly with a click.

It took her only a few seconds to act.

* * *

"RAMEN RAMEN RAMEN RAMEN!!!!!!" _Clap, clap, clench, and punch in the air. _ "Oh which will I choose today? Miso, beef, chicken, or say! How about all three?!?! Oh how lucky lucky lucky me!" 

_Somebody please just kill me now._

Naruto bounded into Ichiraku's with a wide grin on his fox like face, dragging along behind him his very pissed off, very annoyed best friend.

"Oh come on teme! Baa-chan will fix her up just fine! You know that!" Naruto thundered, clapping his best friend on the back. Before the Uchiha had any chance to retort, Naruto loudly placed their order.

"Two orders of three of the bestest combos you have!"

"Oi cut that order in half. I'm not eating." Sasuke interjected sharply.

Naruto's face fell.

"I ate a late breakfast, dobe." Sasuke added for his friend's benefit.

_Damn this guy gets over hangovers fast._

Naruto stared at him for a moment before turning back to Ayame. "You heard the teme, he's too nervous about his wedding to eat."

_SMACK_

His sly grin was replaced with a grimace.

"Urusei, usuratonkachi."

Ayame giggled softly as she set a glass of water in front of the pair. Naruto was glaring at his best friend, holding the back of his head, his lower lip protruding in a prominent frown. "Teme, I'm going to pound your ass for that later!"

Sasuke smirked. "Like you'll stand a chance, dobe."

Just then Ayame's father set a rather large steaming bowl in front of Naruto. "There you go Naruto-kun! Eat up so you can be energized to take this guy on!" He threw Sasuke a mocking look.

The Uchiha just rolled his eyes, scowling at something in the corner.

Naruto grinned again. "Hai baa-chan! ITADAKIMASU!!!" He joyfully snapped his chopsticks apart and tore into his beloved ramen.

"I'm leaving. I've got to go take care of something." Sasuke said after a moment of watching his former teammate inhale his food. It just wasn't normal; the way Naruto ate his ramen. One would probably surmise that the kid had horrid indigestion from the way he ate so quickly.

He stood his back to the ramen stand's occupants. Before departing, however, he turned back just enough to catch the puzzled look on Naruto's face.

"If you see Kakashi at all today, let him know I'm looking for him."

With that, he disappeared.

"Strange lad." Ayame's father commented, wiping a glass dry with a dish rag.

"Naph, heefs always whike dat." Naruto explained around a mouthful of food.

Ayame only smiled.

* * *

It took him less than five minutes to return to the room where he had spent the last three days. 

Sakura was lying flat on her back, her eyes closed and a defiant frown on her face.

What surprised him even more were the bindings around her wrists and ankles that held her to the bed itself.

_What could those possibly be there for?_

He leapt through the window, landing silently in the corner of the room. He scrutinized her for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle.

Sakura's eyes snapped open.

"Where did you come from?" She asked, her tone clipped.

Sasuke approached her, a questioning frown on his face. "What happened?" He asked, crossing his arms and sitting on the chair next to the bed. Propping a foot up on the bed frame, he leaned back slightly in his seat, waiting for her response.

"She directly defied my order." A new voice said.

A loud noise could be heard as the newcomer's foot connected with the supporting legs of Sasuke's chair. He was already out of his seat before the chair crashed to the floor, flipping once in the air before landing safely on the opposite side of Sakura's bed.

"She should be thankful I didn't sedate her."

Sakura had turned her gaze back to the ceiling, glaring _hard_ at the small holes in the ceiling tiles.

"Not my fault." She grumbled, clearly displeased.

Sasuke smirked. _This should be fun…_

"Uchiha."

His thoughts were interrupted as he met the Hokage's gaze. "I'm placing her under your charge. Sakura may go home, but she is not to leave the house until that wound is completely healed. The poison from the kodachi was removed, but it needs to heal on its own. Make sure she takes it easy. I want her to take these pills, two twice daily. They're antibiotics to help fight infection and speed up the healing process. Make sure she takes them. Understood?"

Sasuke fought the smirk as he replied, "Hai, Tsunade-sama."

Seeing that her order was going to be followed, the Godaime smiled. "She's already more stubborn than before. It must be something in your blood. I'm going to go finish the preparations for the ceremony."

He allowed the smirk to take over his features. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

With that, Tsunade placed a small canister with pills on the table next to the bed before walking out of the room.

A few moments passed before anyone spoke.

Pure, unadultered embarrassment was rolling off of Sakura in waves. Angry tears slipped out from underneath her closed eyelids.

With a sigh, Sasuke sank onto the bed next to her. Cupping her chin he angled her face to where she could look at him.

"Sakura."

Her eyes opened. She blinked twice as she took in his expression.

"What?" She asked, slight defiance still evident in her quiet voice.

"I never thought you to be _that_ rebellious."

She rolled her eyes before closing them. A frown overtook her face and she smirked slightly after a moment. "These won't hold me forever, you know."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her.

"I've got to go to the bathroom at some point."

He smirked. "Well then I'll just have take you in there myself, now won't I?" He asked, his voice mischievous.

Sakura ignored him, instead focusing her chakra as discreetly as she could, to one of her wrist bindings. She managed to slip her wrist free for a split second before Sasuke immediately caught it.

"Sakura" he gave her hand a slight squeeze in a gentle warning.

She glared hard up at him. "Lemme go dammit."

"No."

His response seemed to only anger her more and she tugged harder against his grip. Sasuke deliberately let himself fall on top of her, his full weight being supported by his free hand.

Sakura's eyes widened a fraction before she "hmpfed" audibly. "Good job you idiot." She murmured venomously.

Sasuke smirked and he closed the distance between them easily. "Not my fault." He muttered, their lips now barely a hairsbreadth apart.

Sakura's frown slowly began to turn into a pout. "Is too."

His answering smirk nearly stopped her heart. "Wanna bet?" He growled softly before quickly crushing her lips with his.

Her eyelids fell shut instantly and she responded to his fierce, dominating kiss. Pressing herself as far up as she could, she pulled his upper lip between her teeth and Sasuke immediately pinned her to the bed at the same time he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

The two fought for dominance for a while before Sakura's chest began to burn from lack of oxygen.

_Giving yourself to that little Uchiha bastard? I should have known!_

Sakura's eyes snapped open.

_NOT GOOD ENOUGH! You're WORTHLESS! FUCKING WORTHLESS!!!!!!_

She pushed him away, turning her head to the side and gasping sharply for air. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she pulled much-needed air into her burning lungs.

She shut her eyes tightly closed and blocked out the words that had just forced their way into her mind.

"Didn't know you'd given in so easily." Sasuke chuckled amusedly above her.

Sakura didn't respond.

He saw her horrified expression and instantly knew something was wrong. He gently ran his hand through her hair, his thumb stroking her cheek softly. "Sakura, what's wrong?" He asked, still catching his own breath.

She just shook her head, refusing to meet his gaze. The medication Tsunade had given her starting to take effect.

"I just want to get out of here Sasuke, please." Her voice was softer now, less defiant.

All stubbornness was gone from her now. Replacing it was morose and sadness. She avoided his gaze as she slowly turned her head to the side, hating herself for the hot tears now streaming down her cheeks.

Sasuke's grip tightened on her wrist.

"What aren't you telling me?" He asked softly, but his voice firm.

She turned her gaze up to him.

The look he saw there wrenched his heart painfully.

"Please just let me go home?" She asked quietly.

Sasuke frowned, his eyes narrowing ever-so-slightly. _I'll get her to talk later._

He nodded.

* * *

Several hours after training, he stood on the balcony just outside of his room. 

His thoughts swirled around the recent events that had transpired. _So much has changed._ He thought to himself. He clutched the notice he'd received tightly in his hand.

_When I need her now more than ever..._

His gaze found the old team photograph resting on his dresser. His other two teammates smiled cheerfully up at him along with their over-zealous sensei.

His heart wrenched when his gaze fell upon _her._

It brought forth the wave of emotions he'd done his best to suppress the past few days following the attack on Sakura.

_How could she? I thought we…_

He glared at the other smiling face of his significant _other_ teammate.

_You damn _traitor

He threw the picture across the room, where it shattered against the opposite wall. The noise would surely be enough to wake any family member nearest him, but he didn't care. Nothing mattered to him anymore.

The Uchiha Wedding was in a matter of days and he suddenly felt nauseous.

_She_ would be there. And so would _he_. With his wounded ego, he wasn't so sure that attending such an event would be a safe idea. But since Hinata had declined the position as future head of the Clan, it was now his duty to step forth being the eldest male in his family.

Hyuuga Neji would not back down or shirk his duty.

* * *

The final preparations were set. It was just a matter of time now. 

Tsunade gently tucked a flower back into the elaborate arrangement in the courtyard where the reception would take place. The tables were set up, places being marked for the important individuals in the village at the front tables closest to the stage, where later on during the reception there would be entertainment.

And a karaoke contest.

Tsunade smiled faintly at the thought of Naruto or Jiraiya stepping forth and singing their hearts out only to amuse fellow reception attendees.

A small rustle of leaves behind her brought her attention back to the present. The blonde whirled only to find herself face to face with a masked ANBU. "You have your updated report?" She asked, keeping her voice low.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." The nin dropped a scroll into her awaiting hand.

Tsunade nodded as she accepted it. "Very well. I want your team to remain on patrol the next two days. I don't want anything to happen. If Haruno's got more friends, we'll find them."

The Nin didn't respond. Instead, he sort of stood before the Hokage, his posture tense.

"Something wrong?" She asked after a pregnant silence.

"Hokage-sama," The nin began. "Is it, customary to…feel like a traitor?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at him. She'd recognize his voice anywhere, but his direct question threw her for a moment. "How so?"

"Those men, the ones who hurt Sakura. They were part of my platoon. I should have seen it sooner, because if I had, maybe Sakura wouldn't be in a hospital bed with our Captain keeping watch over her day and night. I feel like I betrayed her for not keeping her safe."

Tsunade allowed herself a small smile.

"What you're feeling, Sai, is normal." She took a step closer, but did nothing further to close the distance between them. "You have to accept the fact that there are evil people in this world. It is up to you though how you handle it. Do you let them walk scot free? Or do you do everything in your power to keep people like that from preying on innocent good people like your old team mate?"

The ANBU Nin pulled his mask away, revealing the haggard face of Sai. "I'll do everything I can to keep my friends safe." He vowed quietly.

Tsunade smiled.

"Get yourself home and get some rest. I want all of you alert and ready during the ceremony in 36 hours. Sakura is not to know of your presence as her guards, is that understood? I've already spoken with Sasuke about it. Sakura is torn up over the incident a few days ago as it were. The last thing I want is to spoil the happiest day of my apprentice's life."

Sai nodded. "Understood, Hokage-sama."

* * *

The walk home was silent. 

The faint breeze blew gently, rustling a few fallen leaves on the dusty, empty streets. The pair making their way home remained silent, as if a testimony to the peaceful night.

Just as they approached the gates of the Uchiha Estate, Sasuke turned to take Sakura by the shoulders.

"Sakura"

Her head came up, heavy eyelids lifting to stare as blankly as she could up at him.

"Do you want to marry me?"

The question jarred her sharply out of her slight phase. Her eyes grew wide. "W-What?!"

Sasuke gripped her shoulders tight. "Do you still want to marry me?" His voice was devoid of any humor.

"Why…Why are you asking me this?" Sakura asked softly, blinking incredulously up at him.

"Just answer the question Sakura."

A large lump had begun to form in her throat. Choking on it, she responded in a shaky voice. "Y-Yes. Of course I still want to marry you." She looked up to meet his gaze once more, this time trying to reach up to wrap her arms around him.

Sasuke didn't budge.

He scrutinized her for a long moment, during which the moonlight crept through the cloudy overcast. Shock was written across her face and tears had swelled in her bright emerald orbs. Her lips looked so tempting, her lower one protruding in that small pout she always unconsciously did when she was upset about something.

He lost it.

Claiming her lips fiercely with his own, he had quickly backed her up against the wall of the gate.

Sakura responded instantly, one hand reaching up to hold his cheek while her other snaked around his waist, pulling him against her. She ran her fingers through his hair, pulling gently and she softly rubbed his back as if to tell him silently that she didn't want to be apart from him.

Sasuke broke the heated kiss before it could go any further. He'd pulled Sakura tightly into his arms and he rested his chin on her shoulder, burying his nose in the crook of her neck. "I don't want to lose you, Sakura." He said huskily.

She hadn't responded, more just had frozen in his arms. "S-Sasuke-kun…"

His grip tightened.

Tears slipped from under her closed eyelids, but she didn't care. She pulled him as tightly to her as possible, ignoring the pain shooting up through her abdomen. "I'm not going anywhere." She finally whispered against his chest.

He pulled away just enough to lift her chin and capture her gaze. "Do you not trust me anymore?"

Her eyes filled with tears again. "NO! I trust you with my life! With everything that I am!" Her eyes widened at her outburst and she dropped her chin to stare, humiliated, at the ground between their feet.

Sasuke bent down this time, to his knees so he could look up into her eyes. Taking her hands in his own, he squeezed them gently, to make sure he had her attention.

"Then please tell me what's bothering you." He held up a hand to stop her automatic response. "Don't lie to me Sakura. I've noticed that something's been wrong for almost a month now. This new incident with your father's lackeys is reason enough for me to order a private ceremony only from the Hokage. I need you to talk to me. Please tell me what's wrong."

In his eyes, she could see his concern was genuine. Never in her _wildest_ dreams would she have ever imagined _Uchiha Sasuke_ to be begging her to tell her what was on her mind, what was troubling _her_. He'd always shut her out and pushed everyone and everything within a 10 foot radius as far away from him as possible. With just an arch of an eyebrow he could prove that nothing could get even remotely close to him. She could have sat next to him, but she would have still been worlds apart from him...

Now though, since his return and since the ordeal they both had survived with Haruno Tetsuki, Uchiha Sasuke had become a changed man.

As Sakura met his gaze, she could feel the change, just in the way he was looking at her. His gaze was no longer cold, frustrated maybe, but never again icy.

And here she was, afraid to talk to him.

What on earth was _wrong_ with her???

_**You remember what Kaa-san said. Trust him usuratonkachi.**_ Inner Sakura said uncharacteristically quiet, before disappearing.

Sakura swallowed hard. "C-Can we please go inside?" She asked, her voice cracking slightly. She closed her eyes tightly as another spasm of pain made its presence known. She heard a distinct "Hn."

…before she was scooped up into a pair of strong arms.

Opening her eyes she let out a small yelp of surprise. "Y-You don't have to do this Sasuke-kun, I _can_ walk you know!"

"Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"Just shut up."

She felt her cheeks heat up and she dropped her eyes away from his smirking face.

The walk was short, Sasuke leapt over the roofs of the empty houses of the Uchiha Estate until he landed gracefully on the balcony of his window. Sliding the door open easily, he deftly moved inside, gently placing Sakura down on the bed.

"Your medication's worn off." He said, pulling out the small container of pills Tsunade had instructed her to take. "Lay down, I'll be back in a moment."

Sakura nodded and watched as he exited the room.

Smiling slightly to herself, she closed her eyes as she gathered as much chakra to her hands as possible before gently pressing them to her abdomen. She felt tissues being repaired and the pain of the nerves currently flaring at the moment dimmed to a dull throb. Footsteps in the hallway jerked her attention off the task of healing herself, and she quickly stopped. Goodness knows what Sasuke would have to say about this.

He returned then, a solemn look on his gorgeous features and the cure to her pain in his hands.

"Take this." He said, holding a glass of water out for her. She sat up and he handed her two pills, standing next to her until she'd swallowed them both down.

A memory flickered in her mind and long ago words spoken by their sensei filled her mind.

"_Those who do not take care of their friends are worse than trash…"_

Shame washed over her then. "I'm so sorry." She whispered after a long moment of silence.

Sasuke knelt in front of her, a frown on his face. Taking her hands once more into his own, he gave them a gentle squeeze. "Sakura," he began. "Please."

Tears shone in her eyes and she bowed her head.

"I'm afraid, Sasuke-kun." Her voice no louder than a whisper.

He hedged, unsure of what to do. Impatience washed over him like a tidal wave but he held back a response, wanting her to continue.

"I'm not sure of myself any more."

Sasuke met her gaze then. "What are you not sure of?"

"Me. I'm not as strong as I appear!" She paused before another wave of shame and sadness crashed over her. "Kami I _hate_ saying this!" She cried, her shoulders shaking as she started crying. "I'm not strong enough! If I were, you wouldn't have had to come to my rescue every two seconds! I could've done so much more and my life wouldn't have been so awful if I'd just gotten stronger! And now I'm too scared to tell you how I feel but you're the only person in this world that I love with my entire being, how pathetic is that?!"

With that she tore her gaze away from his face, freeing one of her hands and pulling his pillow to her to bury her face in it as she cried.

Sasuke's heart unclenched. Relief washed through him and a small smirk overtook his face. He pulled the pillow away from her, rising from his crouched position on the floor. Within an instant he'd had Sakura safely wrapped up in his arms, holding her close to him as he gently wiped her tears away.

"Is that all?" He asked softly, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

"Y-Yes."

He smiled.

"Sakura. There is nothing in this world that could ever take you away from me, except for one thing." He pointed to her. "I was dreading the worst, that you'd fallen out of love and you didn't want to get married. I would have let you go, if that was what you truly wanted."

Sakura opened her mouth to protest immediately, but he lightly placed a finger over her parted lips. "Let me finish?" He asked a sly grin on his face.

She nodded slightly and his face grew serious again.

"I don't want you to feel like you can't talk to me. I'm not the same little prick I was when we were younger. Time changes people. We haven't exactly been able to spend much time together the past month or so of our engagement and I fully fault Hyuuga and Yamanaka for that. But I love you Sakura, deeply and whatever it is that is bothering you, I want to lay those anxieties to rest, right now."

Lifting his finger, he gently laid a kiss on her lips. "What's really bothering you?"

She sighed quietly, averting her gaze and bracing herself for his reaction. "I'm scared about getting married."

Much to her surprise, he chuckled.

"Sakura, it's a known fact that all couples are anxious about "sealing themselves away" with just one person." He laughed mirth in his eyes as he smiled at her. "If that's the only reason I could have taken your fear away much sooner." He smirked mischievously.

Sakura shook her head, somewhat dazed by the gorgeous man's expression. "I-I'm not worried about that." She said, turning her head. "I..."

Sasuke felt his light mood darken. His eyes narrowed as he realized what it was Sakura was trying to tell him.

"I would die before I ever let anything like that happen to you ever again." He growled, anger coursing through him. He gently lifted her chin so she could meet his gaze. "I love you too much, and I hope that you know that."

She nodded, her eyes filling with tears. Her lower lip quivered. "I-I'm sorry, Sasuke— mgfh!"

It was fast becoming his favorite way to shut her up.

That was all she'd needed. Relief washed over her and she pulled him closer when he deepened the kiss.

He let them fall back onto the bed, him hovering just inches above her. She wove her fingers into his hair; gently playing with the raven strands. Still marveling at how soft it was. Sasuke broke off, letting her breathe and he lightly began trailing kisses down her jaw to her ear, catching her lobe with his teeth.

She shivered beneath him as he vowed softly, "I will never let you hurt again."

Sakura stilled, watching as he pulled back enough to meet her gaze. He lifted her chin, leaning close to where their noses almost touched. "I promise."

A small smile lightened her eyes, and she pulled him down to her again this time it was she who crushed his lips with hers. She felt him smirk against her mouth and his free hand caressed her side, sending shivers up her spine.

He pulled away much too soon and she started to protest. The smirk never left his face as he leaned down to kiss her forehead lightly.

"You need to rest, Hokage's orders."

"But I've _been_ resting! There's still so much to do and I—" She stopped when she felt a finger curl around her chin. Looking up in confusion, she froze as her gaze met crimson. She felt her eyelids drooping and she slumped against him.

"Rest, Sakura." She distantly heard him say. "You can argue with me when you wake up."

"Mmkay." She mumbled before slipping completely into blackness.

* * *

**ZOMG NOT AN ACTUAL AUTHOR'S NOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!** XD 

Hi everyone, Uchiha Sakura here.

With a quick note before I skip off to finish the laundry and to delve back into my wonderful book, _Sense and Sensibility_ I wanted to post this.

This chapter as well as the next one has been written for a while. I've wanted to be certain everything was perfect and just the way I wanted it. My writing style and storyline are my own, and I've been keeping an eye on those two authors who plagiarized from my own stories.

While it annoys me to no end, what is done is done. I haven't wanted to penalize you, my loyal readers. I so greatly appreciate all the support and the lovely emails I've received from some of you. Please trust me when I say that my review responses will come in the following chapter, to everyone who has stuck with me through all of this in the past year. I love you guys. 

I _also_ want it to be known that the next chapter shall be posted _very very_ soon. So do not fret. ;) I won't keep you hanging. 

Take care and if it not too much trouble, leave a spiffy review? They always do make me smile. :D

-Uchiha Sakura-


	13. Final Chapter!

Disclaimer: I should token stamp this by now, for real. IF I were to own the rights to Naruto and the characters, I would have done each and every one of them justice. And Sakura would continue to remain a badass, as always. ;)

And no, I am not dead. As exhibited by this excrutiatingly LONG overdue update. ;)

Please enjoy!

~ Konoha no Uchiha Sakura

Strength of The Heart – Final Chapter

* * *

The sun was rising high above the horizon, casting its rays at just the right angle to where they pierced through the haphazardly drawn blinds covering the windows.

One green eye cranked open, and instantly slammed shut again as the bright light pierced her retina.

"Kuso!"

A heavy arm tucked around her waist then, pulling her away from the sun's piercing rays and further into the shadowy darkness on the other side of the bed.

"Sleep," a deep voice murmured huskily in her ear. "I'll tell you when to wake back up again."

A sleepy giggle escaped her lips, but she nuzzled close to him again, letting her sea foam green eyes droop shut once more. The warmth of his embrace and comfort of his arms around her were nearly enough alone to lull her back in to sleep's dark call.

Sakura breathed in his scent, letting it fill her lungs as she committed the sound of his groggy voice to memory. Pressing her lips to his jaw line, she whispered,

"Goodnight Sasuke-kun."

A grunt was her only reply, but his arms tightened around her for a moment, holding her closer as she drifted off to sleep again.

Uchiha Sasuke had been awake for some time, watching over Sakura as she slept. His sharp eyes noted the changes in her physically as she recovered and the gradual ease in her sleeping patterns. He also noted with a large amount of pride, that she was sleeping much better since he had all but commanded her to sleep with him in his bed. No longer did she fight against him when he asked her to remove her shirt so he could change her bandages. But he had noticed her rate of recovery had quickened drastically, and he knew without a doubt that she was healing herself when his back was turned.

_Stubborn girl._

He smiled with masculine pride as he watched her snuggle closer to him before drifting off to sleep again. Little moments like these were ones he cherished, though he would never admit that to anyone. Lo and behold someone ever discover the great Uchiha had developed a soft spot because of the pink haired girl in his arms. As he watched her breathing even out again, he lifted a hand to stroke her hair gently. He loved playing with the soft pink strands, and he even did it while she was awake. Tucking a piece behind her ear, he leaned down and pressed his lips to her cheek. Unconsciously, Sakura turned toward him, a soft sigh parting her lips.

"Sasuke-kun…"

He rose silently, murmuring softly to her, "I'll be back soon."

* * *

Today's weather could not have been more perfect, Yamanaka Ino decided as she tucked a stray piece of blonde behind one ear. Her sky blue eyes lifted and her lips rose into a wide smile as she took in the bright, beautiful sunny day. A quick glance the clock told her it was time to go, and she swiftly locked up, heading east toward the Uchiha Compound. She was waking up a certain pink haired kunoichi if she wasn't already up and moving!

Today her best friend, sister from another mister, was getting married. And Ino was going to make everything absolutely _perfect!_

Mentally going over her checklist, Ino counted the number of bouquets she had arranged the night before as she briskly walked down the street. Then there were the guests, all of whom wore a simple white and red carnation, to symbolize the blending of the two families and the lasting eternal happiness for the bride and groom. Because today's festivities called for a strictly traditional ceremony, the Hokage herself had been called in to solidify the deal.

A priest from Konoha's temple would be present to preside over the ceremony, and then Tsunade had something up her sleeve to bind the two ninjas together. Had Sakura or Sasuke not been ninja and simply civilians, this little part of the ceremony would not have been necessary. But as two of the apprentices of the Legendary Sannin, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke were to take part in something that would become a law for all future wedded ninjas.

Ino simply couldn't wait to see what it was!

And then of course, there were the traditional garb that all members in the ceremony were to wear—

Someone landed just in front of her then, startling her out of her reverie and stumbling back to gasp at the sudden intrusion. A quick hand shot out and grabbed her arm to steady her, the grip firm but gentle.

"My apologies, Yamanaka-san." A polite male voice said quietly. Ino's eyes lifted and widened as they were met with pale lavender. "N-Neji?" She breathed, feeling her cheeks warm at the sight of him. "What is it?"

As she looked at him, she saw that he was not dressed in the formal Yukata that all of Sasuke's close male friends were to be wearing. Instead, he was cloaked entirely in his ANBU uniform; his owl mask pushed the side. His expression was grim as he looked at her for a moment.

"Tsunade-sama has requested your presence this morning. I was sent to retrieve you before you arrived at the Uchiha compound."

She eyed him suspiciously for a moment before nodding. If the Hokage wanted something done before the wedding took place, then it had to be serious. Without any little quip Ino disappeared with a _poof_. Neji smirked as he watched her go. "Not quite as troublesome as you say, Nara." His grin stayed in place as he followed her to Hokage tower.

Tsunade took in the small group of Nins gathered in her office. All members, save for two, of the original Rookie Nine were present, each wearing expressions ranging from grim to determined. Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and the final two Nins walked into the office. The best friend and self-appointed Matron of Honor of Haruno Sakura, and Hyuuga Neji.

As each went to stand by their old teammates, Tsunade rose from her chair. "I have called you in here this morning because under recent circumstances, the safety of one of your own has come to the forefront. I am hereby officially appointing each of you a mission of security, which will be completed the moment I complete the jutsu to officiate the Uchiha ceremony."

No one spoke.

"Furthermore, Sakura is not to know of any of this. As all of you know, my apprentice is very strong, but her mind is in a fragile state right now. The best we can all do for her is to keep her safe, and to make sure that today is the happiest day of her life."

"Ne, Sakura-chan is marrying the teme! Of course she's going to be happy!" Naruto spoke up, giving the Hokage a huge thumbs up and a foxy grin.

Ino poked him. "Urusei! Tsunade-sama wasn't finished!" Ino hissed to him. The only member of Team 7 present smiled impishly as he rubbed the back of his head.

Tsunade suppressed a smile.

"Everything is to proceed as originally planned," She continued. "Yamanaka Ino has worked very hard to make this ceremony happen, and the attire she has assigned will remain a constant." One almond eye twitched at Naruto's foul expression, but she said nothing. "I do not want my apprentice's day to be spoiled by any whisper of this meeting. Uchiha Sasuke was the original one who requested we increase the security today, and as many of you know, there are still several former ANBU ninja undergoing investigation. We cannot allow for this team to be compromised."

"So Uchiha is in with us too?"

"You're _damn_ right I am."

All eyes turned to see the one and only Uchiha Sasuke standing in the entrance of Tsunade-sama's office, dressed fully in his ANBU uniform and a menacing expression written on his features. Each member of the original Rookie Nine was met with the infamous Uchiha Glare as he spoke.

"Our team is the innermost layer of security today. Sai will be with Kakashi and another group of ANBU guarding the surrounding areas. They are to keep out of sight until the reception, where all of us will celebrate but keep our eyes open."

"Hai!" Nearly every ninja present responded, determined.

Sasuke felt his nerves ease, if even but a little. Rookie Nine would make sure that nothing happened to Sakura, even if they were still a little leery of trusting him entirely. As he looked around the room, he remembered back to when he'd returned to Konoha, and how many of the shinobi present here today had mistrusted him for years before even bringing themselves to finally speak to him again.

"So, if I can…How does Sakura not know that you're here?" Tenten spoke up, keeping her sly grin mostly hidden. "From what I've seen, the two of you have been practically inseparable the last month or so that Ino-chan has planned this wedding."

Sasuke felt the smirk slide into place once more. "She was asleep when I left, but I told her I was going out for orange juice and would be gone no longer than five minutes."

Naruto snorted, and dodged Sasuke's fist.

Tsunade cleared her throat, bringing everyone's attention back. Her eyes were serious as she looked at each and every one of them. "I want this mission to proceed flawlessly. Every single person in this room is important to making sure it is a success. Let's not allow anything to spoil this happy day. Understood?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" Came the reply.

Her warm smile returned then. "We all have work to do. Uchiha?"

Sasuke bowed slightly before he disappeared.

* * *

Her vision was blurry.

She blinked several times to clear it as she slowly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Lying before her was the white ceremonial kimono that had once belonged to Uchiha Mikoto. And today, it would now belong to her. Emotions swam through her, none distinguishable from the other, just flooding her senses all at once as she imagined the last time the kimono had been worn…the last woman to marry off in—

Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat as she tenderly reached down to gently grasp the soft satin in her hands.

Her back turned, she didn't sense the other presence that had entered the room until she felt two arms snake their way around her waist. "Not getting cold feet, are we?" A playful voice murmured in her ear.

Sakura felt the tension bleed out of her as the smile slowly spread across her face. Gently placing the kimono back on the hanger, she twirled around in his embrace to face him. "Now Uchiha, why on earth would you come to such a conclusion?" Her eyes were playful as she smiled up at him.

Having her back in his arms again was a relief. Even as he smirked down at her and watched her cheeks bloom pink with the blush he adored so much, he couldn't help but feel at ease now that he was back home, and his most precious person close.

_The extra security is worth it._

Sakura threaded her fingers in his hair as she pulled him against her. "Took you long enough to just get a carton of orange juice," She teased, pressing up on her toes to place a kiss along his jaw. "How's a girl to know that you aren't the one with cold feet?"

Sasuke tightened his grip around her and backed her up until he could press her against the wall. His eyes were hooded as he smirked at her.

"Uchiha men fear nothing." He growled softly in her ear. "We take what belongs to us." Her little squeak of surprise was all he needed. Claiming her lips fast, he silenced any protest before she could even have the chance to. And when he broke away, her cheeks were nice and red…just the way he liked them.

"Sasuke-kun," She pouted a little as she pretended to glare up at him. He tilted her chin up with his thumb, and gently stroked her jaw. "Yamanaka is outside. You'd better go let her in before she breaks down the front door."

As Sakura's eyes widened, she raced by him, but not before he caught her once more to give his bride a kiss goodbye. "See you soon." He winked at her, which of course wreaked havoc on her heart all over again.

* * *

"YEEEEOWWWWWWINO-PIG!"

Ino rolled her eyes, groaning with annoyance as Sakura let out another howl. "Jeez Forehead, ever heard of a hairbrush?"

Sakura glared at her best friend in the mirror with watery eyes. "I can't help the fact that the darn stuff got tangled while I slept!"

Tenten giggled. "Either that or Sasuke had some fun messing it up…" She let her voice trail off mischievously as Sakura's emerald eyes widened and her cheeks went bright red.

Ino snorted.

"Please, like he would really do something like that _right_ before they're married." She winked at Sakura in the mirror and gently softened her grip on the pinkette's hair.

Sakura had no choice but to submit herself to the torture. Her wounds had healed, thankfully, but she wasn't to protest the pre-Uchiha Wedding of the Century preparations as she was primped and propered for the ceremony.

Which meant getting dolled up by Ino, Tenten and Hinata.

Again.

She had to force herself to suppress the smile as she remembered what her bestie had threatened to do the night of her Bachelorette party if she messed her hair up.

And then how a few hours later, Ino had gently washed the blood and grime away as soon as Sasuke would allow her to.

Reaching up behind her shoulder, she grabbed onto Ino's hand that was carefully detangling her pink locks, and squeezed gently. Tears were pooling in her eyes as she met her best friend's gaze. Ino's warm answering smile was all the reassurance Sakura needed.

Leaning down, Ino's bright blue eyes smiled at her friend as they both looked in the mirror at one another. "You're gonna be fine, Sakura." Ino said quietly, lightly bumping her head against Sakura's, followed by a wink. "You're marrying your Dark Prince, who would face Hell itself to protect you." She let out a little giggle and smiled.

Sakura couldn't help the smile that tugged the corners of her lips up. Love swelled in her heart as she thought of Sasuke, and before she realized it, a giggle escaped her lips too.

Tenten chose that moment to pop in. "What're we giggling about?"

Ino straightened and grinned broadly. "Just boys." Her smile was wicked as she pegged Tenten with a look. "Care to share, Mistress Dangerous Beauty of Youth?"

Tenten's cheeks blazed pink, and that shut her up quick. "N-Not exactly!" She blurted out, completely flustered.

Ino laughed. "If you don't spill, then I will!"

Tenten's eyes widened in shock. "You wouldn't! We haven't even gone public yet! Ino!"

Sakura and Ino both were in a fit of giggles as Tenten planted her hands on her hips and stuck her tongue out at both of them.

Hinata chose that moment then to enter. Her eyes were on Sakura as she entered, holding Uchiha Mikoto's wedding kimono.

"Sakura-chan…" Her lavender eyes were welling with tears as she came forth, holding the kimono as if it were made of crystal.

Sakura rose from her chair, the updo and curls Ino had pulled her hair into staying perfectly in place. She approached Hinata, the lump that had been in her throat this morning returning once more.

Ino rested her hands on Hinata's shoulders as she looked at her best friend.

"It's time."

* * *

What the hell was it about weddings that turned even the toughest of males into straight up nervous wrecks?

Hatake Kakashi watched his student pace around the west side of the Uchiha Manor, back and forth, over and over again. Sasuke pressed his hands down the front of his formal black yukata for the umpteenth time before he dragged a hand restlessly through his hair.

The ceremonial katana that draped across his shoulders was loose thanks to the pacing, and his feet came to a dead stop as he halted the pacing and tightened the sash.

Kakashi chuckled. "She's not going anywhere, Sasuke."

The Uchiha looked over at him, feeling the strangest urge to throw something at his former sensei.

"TEMEEEEE!"

The loud, orange loving ninja landed beside Sasuke then and slugged him hard in the shoulder. "Hey! You better take good care of our Sakura-chan! Otherwise I'll beat the ever living hell outta you!"

His blue eyes grinned.

Sasuke felt some of the tension ease from him as he looked down upon the main Uchiha Garden. Yamanaka had really come through with everything, he decided as he watched guests file in to take their seats. A flash of movement caught his eye to the left, and his hand went instinctively to his very supposedly ceremonial weapon before he realized it was one of their own.

The future Rokudaime leaned against the railing beside him. "Sasuke." His voice was actually serious. When the Uchiha didn't respond immediately, Naruto gripped his shoulder supportively.

"We're not going to let anything happen. Don't worry."

Sasuke surprised the hell out of him by clapping him on the hand before releasing him to plant his own two hands into the railing.

The third story of the west wing overlooked everything. Careful eyes were everywhere, security was tight, and ceremony guests were limited to immediate friends, family and private invitations by the wedding party only. There would be no surprises today, and the ninja facing trial were in lockdown under Ibiki's watchful glare.

As soon as the guests had all filed in, Kakashi clapped him gently on the shoulder. "Your father would be proud of you, Sasuke." He murmured quietly. "Today you carry on a Clan that many had thought had forever lost its name. You bring pride to your family name and to your parent's memory."

Sasuke felt his eyes sting a little, but he gave no sign of it.

Kakashi smiled behind his mask. His approval written in his one visible eye.

"It's time, Sasuke."

With a deep breath, the Uchiha turned and headed for the stairs. The other two males of Team Seven followed, each by his side. His wingmen, his family, and his support.

He couldn't have asked for more.

* * *

Sakura was blind.

As in _literally_ blind.

Always one for the dramatic, Ino had tied a blindfold over her eyes to maximize the surprise for her.

Ino walked in front, guiding Sakura's right hand, Tenten was on the left, and Hinata was behind her as the three kunoichi lead her from her dressing room to the Uchiha Gardens outside. She could hear faint music in the air, and the air itself smelled sweet. Ino was practically buzzing beside her with excitement.

"Ohhh! Everyone looks so wonderful!" Her squeal was totally not discreet, and before she knew it, Hinata had reached up and freed Sakura of her blindfold.

The sharp contrast of the dark material covering her eyes and the bright sunlight were enough of a shock for Sakura's retinas to adjust to. But once they focused, everything came into view.

Her gasp was enough gratification and thanks in her best friends' mind.

Weeks and weeks of planning and preparation had all gone into this day. The flowers had been fed special organic formulas to give them rich, vibrant colors for the ceremony, and the scent of the blooms filled the air, giving it a sweet, enjoyable smell.

"Oh Ino-chan…"

Sakura's voice was full of emotion as she looked around the Garden. The set up was beautiful, and the guests that were all standing, waiting for her had her trundling to a halt. Big fat tears filled her eyes then, but before they could fall, Tenten reached forward with a tissue and carefully blotted them away.

"Don't cry! You'll ruin your make-up!"

Sakura laughed, happiness erasing the tears with warmth and excitement. "It looks so beautiful, thank you so much!" She gathered her three best friends into a big group hug.

The sound of someone quietly clearing their throat brought her attention back.

"Ladies."

Kakashi smiled down at them as he silently extended a hand to Sakura. "Shall we?"

Tenten tucked another tissue into Sakura's hand and Ino gave her a gentle push towards Kakashi.

The gentlemen came forward, each claiming one of the girls. Naruto sent Hinata's heart racing and her face a tomato red as he offered her his elbow. She tenderly took it, a little squeak of excitement slipping out of her lips as she looked back at Ino and Tenten, her eyes wide with elation and happiness.

Tenten's turn was next, as Rock Lee came forward, for once not dressed in green, but the formal black yukata that the men were all wearing for today. He bowed to her and offered her his hand, which she promptly accepted. Enthusiastically, he pulled her against him, his sparkling smile practically illuminating the entire Uchiha Garden.

Ino felt the rare shy smile appear on her face as Neji stepped forward. His cool gaze found hers and he smirked down at her, offering her a hand. Ino's cheeks blazed, but she accepted his hand, and squealed a little when he tucked her beside him and escorted her away down the aisle. Her eyes flashed back to Sakura's, the squeal of joy having totally reached her eyes.

Sakura gave her a thumbs up and a wink. ;)

Kakashi gave Sakura's hand a gentle squeeze. "You doing okay?" He murmured softly as they watched each of the couples make their way down the aisle to the front where the Priest waited.

Sakura's eyes found Sasuke, and her heart stopped. Her Dark Prince was dressed very sharply, his hair away from his face and a cool smirk on his lips. Her heart restarted and then began pounding away against her ribcage, as if it were trying to flop right out of her chest.

"Y-Yes." She whispered, feeling like she were about to pass out or choke with emotion.

_Breathe._ She told herself as she allowed Kakashi to escort her down the aisle. _Breathe…_

As she passed the guests down the aisle, she saw familiar faces, some smiling; others with happy tears trailing down their cheeks. Her eyes caught a slight movement to her left, but it was gone a second later.

She stumbled at the end, feeling her feet decide to forget their own basic function as nerves took over, but just as soon as she'd lost her footing Sasuke was right there beside her, catching her fast and holding her close.

His dark eyes smiled tenderly at her as he leaned forward and whispered, "Oops."

Her cheeks went red again as he rose with her in his arms, drawing a collective "Aww" from the small crowd gathered there. Kakashi chuckled softly as he went to take his seat.

A stern throat clearing suddenly brought their attention back to the forefront.

Sasuke gently took Sakura's hands into his own and held them as the Priest began the ceremony. He spoke of undying and unyielding devotion of union, the importance of the unity, and the unbreakable bond that they would forever share as one.

His smile was tender as he gently looped a single red string first around Sakura's wrist, and then another around Sasuke's.

Sakura's eyes were watering by this point, but Sasuke gently took her hand in his and gave it a little squeeze.

"As both young ones have lost their families, I would ask each of the closest members to the couple to stand and come forth for San-San-Kudo." The priest said, his hands raised above his head.

Tsunade carefully poured sake into each of the three sake cups resting on the small table in front of the priest.

Naruto and Kakashi rose from their seats, and came to kneel behind Sakura and Sasuke. Sakura's red lips gently met the rim of the first cup and she took a small sip, feeling the burn from the sake. Her eyes widened at first at the flavor, and as she carefully placed the cup back down, she met her mentor's gaze with a secret smile.

It was so just like Tsunade to use her favorite flavor of sake for the ceremony.

Sasuke took a sip next, and each of them drank from the second and third cups, symbolizing their union and communion together as one. Next, Naruto, Kakashi and Tsunade each drank from the three cups, symbolizing the creation of a new bond, and a new family.

Sakura started tearing up. As their friends surrounded them, Sasuke took her hands in his, and looked into her eyes. His voice was low, but soft enough for her to hear.  
"I've waded through the fires of hell only to be healed by you, Sakura. Loving you wasn't ever something I've tried to do. Only what came naturally. I will always love you, for the rest of my life and then for eternity."

Tears were streaming down Sakura's cheeks, leaving little tracks in their wake. She smiled lovingly up at him as she squeezed his hands tight. "You are my light and my soul, Sasuke-kun. My heart beats with yours. And I shall belong to you forever, through the rest of our lives."

The priest murmured more words of love and commitment, as the two were bound together by love and the blessings of Kami-sama. Sasuke lightly held her hand as he slipped his mother's ring onto her left hand, and Sakura felt her heart swell again with love for him as she met his gaze.

_This is really it,_ She thought silently as she beamed up at him. _He's mine, and I am his. Forever. _

As they finished, the priest smiled. "And thus the great Uchiha Clan rises once again! Born anew from the fires and forged through the bonds of friendship and love."

Sasuke felt his chest tighten at the priest's words, and he heard a little sniffle beside him. Sakura's fingers linked through his and she held on tight as the priest blessed them.

Tsunade then came and stood before them. A golden kunai was presented to Sasuke, and as he took it, he felt a sharp zap go through his fingers the moment he touched the kunai.

"Please grip the blade." Tsunade's voice was soft.

Sasuke wasted no time in grabbing onto the blade of the kunai, feeling it slice into his palm. Tsunade presented Sakura with a golden shuriken, and asked her to do the same.

Each of the Konoha ninja complied.

"By new law and the authority I wield as Hokage, I now bind the two of you together."

Her hands moved fast in a sealing jutsu, that once completed, visibly tied around both Sasuke and Sakura's wrists, fueled by their blood and forging an unbreakable bond between them. Their chakra was drawn out through their blood, and Sakura watched with an incredulous look on her face as Tsunade tied hers and Sasuke's chakra together.

"When one is in trouble, the other will feel it. When one has been injured, the other will know how to find them quickly. And if one is in great agony, the chakra from the other will heal them much faster."

The seal was complete, and Sakura felt her hand throbbing. Sasuke flipped his hand up and released his hold on the kunai. The cut was healed, no sign of it at all on his palm. He carefully returned the kunai to the silk lined box it had been presented to him in. Sakura opened her hand to find it healed as well. Her smile was radiant as she too replaced the shuriken in the box, and she turned to face her new husband.

The priest clasped their hands together and smiled warmly at them. "Uchiha Sasuke, you may now kiss your Uchiha Bride."

The loud roar that ran through the air was thunderous as Sasuke easily dipped her back, and kissed her deep. Sakura's fingers threaded into his silken hair as she kissed him back, feeling her heart skipping erratically in her chest. Happiness had bubbled up and overflowed as she was brought upright, but Sasuke never released his hold on her. "You're _mine_ now, Uchiha Sakura." Sasuke's voice was low in her ear.

Sakura giggled and she kissed him again. "Always." She whispered against his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too." He whispered back and he kissed her again.

The cheers of their friends went on as they were surrounded by people, but the only thing she cared about, was being tucked safely in Sasuke's arms.

Her eyes lifted to the bright blue sky, and she felt warmth spread from her head to her toes.

_I love you, Okaa-san. Thank you. _

* * *

The celebration never seemed to end.

The moment Sakura had gone off with the other kunoichi to change; Sasuke scanned the perimeter, and gestured to his fellow shinobi. Six flashes appeared on the far side of the Gardens, away from the reception.

"Report."

Naruto's grin was broad. As per normal.

"Ne Sasuke-teme, everything is good. Someone'd have to be a dumbass idiot to try and get through us!"

Neji smirked. "Hai, Uchiha. My platoon has reported nothing all afternoon. From the looks of things, we're all clear."

Just then, a loud call from the stage demanded the presence of the future Rokudaime, and Naruto's eyes about bugged out of his head with excitement. As he tore off for the stage, Sasuke felt his shoulders sag. They'd made it through.

Neji smiled a little before lightly placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Come Uchiha. The celebration for the prosperity of your rising clan awaits."

The smirk returned as he allowed himself to be steered back towards the party. His dark eyes scanned the area, searching for his wife.

* * *

If it were possible, she was going to invest in Kleenex.

Haruno…no, Uchiha Sakura stood before the full length mirror once again in the ladies' wing of the reception hall. Her eyes were watering as she looked at herself in the mirror.

_Uchiha_ Sakura.

Her bright smile took over her features as she positively beamed.

"Oi! Forehead! Are you dressed yet?" Ino's voice came through the door.

Sakura spun on her heel as she turned towards the door. "Almost!" She hollered back. Shaking her head at Ino's boisterously loud voice, she began changing from the wedding kimono into a more casual and easier-to-sit-down-in one.

Her hands trembled as she smoothed her fingers over the silken material, feeling the softness and smiling to herself as she recognized where she'd seen this before.

A few months back when she'd been out shopping with Ino, Naruto and…Sasuke.

He'd picked it out for her.

She seriously had to quell down her inner fan girl squeal that threatened to let loose from her lips. The Uchiha clan crest had been embroidered into the back, and as Sakura slipped it on over her shoulders and pulled her hair free, she swore she felt herself grow a little taller.

She was the new Uchiha Matriarch.

Talk about one helluva title. First apprentice to the legendary Tsunade, to top medical ninja in all of Konoha. Now wedded to Uchiha Sasuke, and female power head to the clan.

Her heart was fluttering in her chest as she forced herself to calm. If she was able to perform a triple bypass chakra pathway while repairing a lung then she could certainly balance the duties of re-establishing a clan.

She wasn't going to be doing it alone either, she told herself. The road ahead of her and her new husband would be a long one, but Sakura knew that no matter the journey or the trials that they were to face, she and Sasuke would be able to conquer it all.

Sakura punched her fist into her open palm as she grinned at herself. And they would kick a whole lot of ass in the process.

Brushing strands of pink back from her eyes, Sakura drew in a deep breath before emerging from the dressing room.

Ino was sitting in the vanity chair, an impatient look on her features, but the moment Sakura entered; she was up and out of her seat and fussing about her best friend again.

"Honestly Ino-chan, I'm fine! I'm a fully grown woman completely capable of tying up my own obi, I'll have you know." She smirked at Ino as the blonde went about smoothing the kimono down and synching up loose ends of Sakura's obi.

Ino had all but to glare at the medic to get the girl to shut up.

As the two met up with Tenten and Hinata, the four kunoichi rejoined the celebration outside, and Sakura was able to see with immense delight that everyone was thoroughly enjoying the reception.

Naruto was up on the stage singing karaoke with Jiraiya, but the moment he saw the four girls, he hopped off the stage, mic in hand before he went to his knees before Hinata, and grabbed her hand.

"Baaaabaaaay! You've got, that lovin' feeling! Woaaaahohhh that lovin' feeling!" He'd changed the words a little, but succeeded in completely thrilling Hinata by the gesture. Her cheeks were bright red, but as Naruto stood up before her, she pulled him fast by the back of the neck and down to her height to kiss him right there in front of everyone.

Cheers came from the crowd as the two kissed, and before she knew it, Naruto had brought Hinata up with him onto the stage, and proposed to her in front of everyone present.

Her answering yes came to no surprise from anyone.

But loud cheering and squeals of delight emitted from the crowd as Naruto dipped her low, and kissed her tenderly.

Ino had gone off at that point to make her rounds, but Sakura's sharp eyes noted that the blonde had been…held up, by the Hyuuga nin. Neji was smirking at her as she looked to be stammering her way around an excuse for something, before he just silenced her with a kiss.

Sakura's eyes popped out of her head and she covered her mouth as the gasp of shock left her lips.

"Where have you been, little blossom?" A deep voice murmured huskily in her ear.

Sakura felt her heart skip a beat as two warm hands encircled her waist from behind, and pulled her up against a very warm chest.

"Sasuke-kun…" She sighed happily, turning around to face him.

"I'm glad I've got you back by my side." He murmured softly. "You're right where you belong."

Sakura couldn't help the little giggle that escaped her then. Happiness swelled in her chest as she smiled lovingly up at her husband, before she pressed herself up onto her toes to gently kiss him.

"Forever," She whispered into his mouth.

Sasuke kissed her deeply, holding her tightly against him. "Forever." He said with a possessive but warm smile on his face.

"You are mine."

* * *

The End.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

OHHHHHH MY GOOODNESSSSSS! SIX EFFING YEARS! T_T;;;

To preface this, I would love to formally apologize for being one of those evil mean authors that takes forever with updating and then promises an update…but then gets so busy that she forgets…her password.

Though I _will_ say that I was thoroughly amused by one reviewer's comment_: "I__ hate to ask but…have you died? Because even if you have... I expect you to continue writing this story in the afterlife."_

You officially made me smile and laugh mine arse off. XD

To all of you who have stuck with me over these last six years of this story's existence, I am eternally thankful and so very happy! I am so very very sorry for the extreme hiatus that was unintentionally placed on this story! I hated that it took me so long to finally get around to finishing it.

Two computer crashes, two different college transfers and then a helluva lot of writer's block, and HERE YOU FINALLY HAVE IT! XD

Life's had a funny way of keeping me on my toes the last several years, and now with college graduation on the horizon (finally!), I've looked back to when I first started writing on here. Gosh, so much has happened! Thank you so much to all of you who have grown right there along with me, and while the fandom has gained and lost fans, our love of the characters are unchanging. ;)

Thanks guys for encouraging me and keeping me going. I'm so happy to say that this story is now complete. ;)

Love,

Konoha no Uchiha Sakura


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